


A Tactful Omission of The Facts

by LittlePinkPuffin



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Future scene featuring Cat Grant on The Talk!, Kara saves Cat!, Probably will end up being AU knowing the SG writers, What I want to happen in Crossover ep
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-03-18
Packaged: 2018-05-24 01:38:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6136851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittlePinkPuffin/pseuds/LittlePinkPuffin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Supergirl's reputation is in tatters.  Will Cat be able to convince her that not everyone in National City wants to vilify her for failing to be anything less than perfect?  Amongst the threats of a DEO break-out and a brutal reunion with an electrifying former protégé, both Cat and Kara draw from each others strengths and vulnerabilities as they learn what it means to be someone's hero.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A Tactful Omission of the Facts

Chapter 1

“Hello, and welcome to The Talk in National City!”, Sheryl Underwood’s tight black curls bounced with the same enthusiasm as her trademark introduction. 

The stunning backdrop of the city’s sprawling high rises looked particularly striking in the late summer afternoon, but was atypically overshadowed by a far more captivating late addition to the usual talk shows’ panel. Seated either side of Sara Gilbert and Sharon Osbourne at the smoked oak round table featuring the talk show’s five regular anchors was none other than Cat Grant. She looked resplendent in a papaya round-neck dress, perfectly adorned with a bold silver necklace which accentuated her neckline and intelligent visage. 

Julie Chen picked up from where her colleague left off, “Our special guest today is CatCo CEO, Cat Grant, who joins us to discuss the latest actions of our disgraced Girl of Steel”.

The faintest flinch ghosted across Cat’s face. She was not expecting this task to be easy, but the tension in the studio audience was palpable. Her battle to defend Supergirl’s behaviour had begun. She braced herself for whomever was going to strike first.

Today’s topic. Indeed, the only topic in National City currently was regarding Supergirl’s sudden and as yet unexplained departure from the bastion of heroism into someone who was spoiled, self-centred, reckless and cold-hearted. As the host’s added their many opinions about Supergirl’s latest antics, Cat caught sight in a side monitor of the footage being played for audiences at home as documented on smartphones, cameras, news choppers and media satellites throughout the city. It seemed that no lens had missed the opportunity to evidence every single one of Supergirl’s shameful antics. 

Cut to Supergirl defacing the city’s Police department headquarters façade by branding the letters “SGPD, #badgirlEL” with her heat vision into its front façade. The next shot, shaky footage from a mobile phone of Supergirl hurling and drop-kicking dozens of cars to score field goals in National City Stadium. Now, a hastily zoomed out wide shot of the closure of the airport due to Supergirl turning the runways into one giant ice rink and using aircraft as hockey sticks. Cut to her breaking into National City Bank, where only months ago she had prevented an armed robbery, only this time she was scattering the contents of the vault directly above the city’s homeless shelter, wearing a Santa hat no less. Then, liberating all of the animals from National City Zoo to recreate the opening scene of the Lion King; that one Cat had thought mildly amusing. But the final shots of the young heroine super speeding in an out of the malls and boutiques, endlessly changing in and out of the various items of jewellery, clothes, bags and shoes she left strewn in her destructive wake left a bitter taste in Cat’s mouth. How could anyone justify this type of behaviour?

“It’s a question many are asking Cat,” added Julie. Only then did Cat realize that her thought had been voiced aloud by the woman sat to her immediate right. Julie turned to face the camera and continued. “As the woman who claims Supergirl as her creation, branded her and has been a fierce proponent of her since she emerged…” she paused for emphasis. “What does she have to say for herself?”.

Cat cleared her throat, “Well Julie, let me begin by saying I am not here to show support of Supergirl’s latest behaviour.” Her remark was met with assured murmurings from the studio audience. “What is clear to me however, is that Supergirl was acting way outside of her normal character and rather than strive to investigate what could be the cause of this, the people have decreed that she is 100% responsible for what happened.” Cat took a moment to glance round her compatriots at the table before continuing. “Let’s not forget that we have already made this mistake when we blamed Bizarro for the carnage wrought when she first made an appearance by assuming they were one and the same”-

“Yes, true” Sharon Osbourne couldn’t help but add her piece, “But everyone in the city knows it was actually her this time”, a chorus of agreement’s were heard in the audience as Sharon continued “Because after she was neutralized by those anonymous men in black who appeared from nowhere, she snapped out of, something like a trance. That one agent, the woman with the brown hair who eventually made the shot, she called her Supergirl! Begged her to stop what she was doing!” Sharon’s eyebrows rose in emphasis of her next point. “It was definitely her this time Cat”.

“Well Sharon, you have in fact made an important point, despite doing it by interrupting me...” Cat send a cowing look in her direction, “The way she acted directly after being shot down, she appeared remorseful didn’t she?” Cat already knew the answer but looked for the few subtle nods in the affirmative from the remaining women at the table. “Let me tell you this National City, Supergirl owes us nothing”. 

This time the response from the audience was impassioned. Shouts of “Rubbish!” and “Nonsense” could be heard among some more uncouth reactions.

“Supergirl, just like her cousin, has god-like powers on earth.” Cat knew the only way to quell the rising anger in the studio was to keep going, “In the hands of a some of the most notorious figures in our planet’s dark history, these powers could have transformed this world into a place we wouldn’t recognize today and I dare say want to imagine. What you have all failed to consider is how terrifying it must be to possess these kind of abilities”. That remark caused the audience to pause for a moment. “Imagine having to always focus your strength, restrain it so that you don’t inadvertently break something, hurt someone but then also be able to unleash it at a moment’s notice when battling an enemy or averting disaster. Can any of you?” The response was silence. Cat continued “Then try to imagine the pressure you put on yourself to always be in control, all of the time”.

Sara Gilbert, who until this moment had not spoken added “But that’s just it Cat, this time she didn’t restrain herself”.

“Don’t we know it” deadpanned Cat. “Which only proves to us that Superheroes can be just as fallible as us mere mortals. But they aren’t the ones to put themselves on a pedestal. It’s human nature to idolize those with power and influence in this chaotic world we live in because we want to seek their continued support. The danger in doing so is that, nobody is perfect, least of all super powered beings from other planets.” Cat took a moment for her words to be absorbed before saying “It’s easy to look at Supergirl and be taken in by her pretty smile, splendorous costume and golden hair, but that’s not the first thing I see”.

“Then what is Cat?” Sheryl asks.

“Her eyes. They’re haunted.” Cat knows her next remark is what she would ideally tell the girl in private but she’s pretty sure Supergirl is probably hiding under a rock somewhere at this very moment. “I see a young woman who has lost everything – her world, her family and now the love of her city”, this time Cat looks directly into the nearest monitor and adds “You’ve gone through all of this but I know in my heart that you still have a desire to help people, to continue to do the right thing. It’s what you were born to do. I know that things are probably pretty raw for you right now, but when you’re ready to talk, to tell the people of this city your side, I am telling you, that I will listen”. 

Cat lets out a small sigh and turns back to the panel seated round the table. “We all make mistakes, even Superman. And because it’s not the day for fanning the flames of the feminist rhetoric, I won’t get into the reason why we judge Supergirl more harshly than her elder male cousin.” She shares a knowing look with Aisha Taylor, whom she is sure would love to invite her back for a more through discussion of that particular topic. “What we have to do now is give Supergirl a chance to collect her thoughts and decide what she wants to do next.”

“Well, thank you to Cat Grant for joining us in the studio today and for sharing her unique insight on Supergirl” Aisha brings the discussion to a natural close then adds “But despite your heartfelt loyalty to CatCo’s go to cover girl, there are still a lot of people out there who are going to need more convincing.” She turns to the camera and gets confirmation through her earpiece that they are ready to link in with their on-site reporter. 

Aisha looks directly at Cat motioning behind her to show live feed from across the city on monitors off to her right-hand side .

The voice of a young, nubile reporter cut across the visual, “Here was the scene earlier today down at National City Park where a protest rally attended by Maxwell Lord, was held directly in front of the newly erected statue of Supergirl. Lord, who has never been shy of a criticism or two for the disgraced hero was inspecting the damage to the metal work, which Police say they will investigate after they have finished prioritizing the criminal damage caused by the Girl of Steel during her recent escapades.”

The scene cut to a wide shot of a bronze figure atop a marbled stone base. Supergirl was posed in the trademark hands-on-hips stance she seemed to favour when she was aware of the public’s gaze and chose to remain after a rescue to answer brief questions from the press. However, atop the finely detailed reproduction of the crest adorning Supergirl’s chest, someone had savagely sprayed in blood-red paint a circle with a diagonal line through it. Her face, once beautifully crafted into a soft smile looking down at those who positioned themselves at the foot of the podium was now brutalized by the eyes being scorched with what would appear to have been a blowtorch, giving her the blackened, hollow appearance akin to a soul-sucking ghoul. The marble base had been given equally unrestrained savagery and was now embellished with the shakily spewed words “HUMAN LIVES MATTER”.

In a cruel irony, the hastily erected metal railings now surrounding the podium whose purpose was to prevent further defacement, had been bent askew in the tops and could be likened to pitchforks. 

Cat sat through the remaining broadcast with a barely contained rage. No good could come from allowing the public and Maxwell to see how much this barbarism of a young girl was affecting her. Cat briefly wondered if all of the points about double-standards and the fickle nature of public opinion she had just made would now evaporate in the harsh sunlight beating down on a statue of an already beaten down girl. She blanked out the barbed responses spoken by Lord as he stood beneath the statue with his smarmy winks to the camera and vitriolic critique of how everything wrong that had happened in the world was somehow down to a woman who flew around in a cape helping others who sometimes didn’t even want to be saved…

She barely had time to acknowledge the muted applause from the audience as the hosts concluded the show with their characteristic farewell.

“Remember, it’s always the right time to have The Talk!”


	2. Coming Clean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara goes to thank Cat for her support. Where other than the balcony at CatCo for such an encounter!Revelations and a chance for the woman to really open up.

A Tactful Omission of The Facts

Chapter 2

Kara sat atop the vista of cliffs overlooking the city as the last few minutes of sunlight caressed the tips of the skyscrapers of National’s financial district. Even without her superior vision, she could distinguish CatCo tower from its neighbours by its unique cut on the horizon as she waited for the building’s evening illumination to switch on.

Her sobering recovery from exposure to the red kryptonite was entirely down to her sister and the DEO’s efficient manufacture of its meteorological opposite. But by that time, the damage had been done to Supergirl’s image as she had single-handily succumbed to abusing her powers to steal from, humiliate and subjugate the citizens of a city she had sworn so faithfully to protect. 

And this time there was no genetically flawed doppelgänger to attribute blame to. 

No, the barely suppressed rage and frustration at feeling a pawn to the motives and machinations of not only Non and his army but also Maxwell Lord and the on-so-selective-with-the-whole-truth DEO had been unleashed full force on National City. Supergirl was now universally considered to be the most hated extra-terrestrial in the Western hemisphere. Considering that she happened to share this hemisphere with a half a dozen or so of her home planet’s most brutal convicts not to mention the hundreds of other Fort Rozz escapees, that was quite an achievement. 

The debriefing with Hank had lasted hours. He had dissected and analysed her actions over the last few days with an enviable emotional detachment but had been unable to disguise his disappointment when he informed her that the DEO would now have to review several of their most sensitive operations that she had been privy to because she had potentially revealed compromising information to their enemies in her altered state. Kara wished she possessed the super-powered ability to recall just exactly which of her enemies had done this to her and how, but in addition to the side-effects of a throbbing headache, mild nausea and occasional shivering, detoxing from red kryptonite had caused complete amnesia of the events leading directly to her exposure.

She wanted so badly to forget the experience. The memories of how she felt under its influence, the pure, unadulterated drive towards recklessness, spontaneity and hedonistic-like abandon of her restrained and mild-mannered Danvers upbringing was something she shamefully admitted a part of her would miss. 

Kara’s musings were distracted by a chime for her phone indicating an incoming text. She pulled the device from her boot and saw that it was from Alex.

'Where are you?'

-'Enjoying the scenery. Something up?'

'You’re thinking about seeing her. Don’t.'

-'I need to Alex. She really went out on a limb for me today.'

'I know she did. But I worry about how much she gets under your skin. Like she said herself, you don’t owe her anything.'

-'She’s wrong. Look, it won’t take long. Promise.'

'Be safe'

Kara scrolled through the latest Twitter feeds which had propagated in the wake of Cat Grant’s televised defence. Though the naysayers and anti-alien dissenters had garnered a sizable advantage through exploiting humanities natural tendency towards cynicism and paranoia, the quirky hashtag of #SuperherosAreSuperhuman was gathering momentum. Kara’s eyes were drawn to the radiant letters of the company where she had learned much about her humanity in recent months. The sky was now shrouded in an early dusk which offered Kara ample opportunity to glide towards her destination without attracting the unwanted attention for photo lenses and media choppers. Despite Alex’s appeal for caution, she knew she couldn’t wait any longer.

 

***

 

The plush sofa which Cat rested upon as she inhaled the mellow evening air did nothing to quell the weariness in her spine from the day’s events. She had scarcely been able to retire backstage of the talk show studio before she received a barrage of phone calls from frenzied board members spouting feverish and discordant opinions for what they felt was the destined implosion of Cat Grant’s media empire now that its CEO had seemingly abandoned all reason.

The hastily organized ‘damage limitation’ strategy had barely been given a launch platform in the evening edition of the Tribune. Cat’s swift and assured threat to the board that a certain pre-drafted addendum to all CatCo employee contracts would see her entire senior editorial staff fired and thereafter sued for defamation of character in the event that any future publication reneged on the opinions she had given during her earlier broadcast. It was a complete bluff, but had worked.

Only now, as she sipped her second bourbon, did she allow the mental and physical fatigue manifest in an exhausted sigh as the base of her neck sunk into the creamy leather upholstery of the balcony furniture.

There was a flutter of wind.

“I heard your amazing broadcast today. Thank you.” Supergirl’s words echoed those spoken by her in the aftermath of the quake. Cat turned her head and the sight which met her caused a halt to her mid-recline into the full expanse of the sofa. It wasn’t due to Supergirl’s silent arrival as she hovered beyond the threshold of her balcony wall. A face-to-face was somewhat expected after she had appealed to her on national television for a personal audience. Rather, the sight of Supergirl still attired in the lithe black body suit with a muted crest adorning her right shoulder caused Cat to momentarily regard her with a cautious look.

“Mightn’t opting for the colour-wheel ensemble with trademark skirt and cape instead of your current look be the best way to show the city that you’re back on our side again?” The slightest hesitation in her voice before adding, “Because you are, right?”

“I’m pretty sure, despite your best efforts today, that I’m not remotely close to earning the right to wear that suit again”, “Yet” Kara added last second.

“You’re more than just the suit, Supergirl”. Cat raised her glass in a small toast before taking another sip and standing.

“Please don’t call me that tonight.” Sheer defeat in her voice as she uttered the words.

Cat’s heels clicked on the concrete as she stepped forward. She threw a sharp look upwards into blue eyes misting with unshed tears. “Then come stand beside me so that I can draw you out of your self-imposed pity party without having to shout out an alternative over the noise of the traffic below.”

Supergirl took her time in landing gently beside Cat, it allowed her a moment to mask her features lest she let the other woman know how much the caustic remark had affected her. Kara was the one who would cow at such a comment. Tonight she was meant to be bulletproof. 

They stood together side by side and regarded the city below in weighted silence. Then Cat’s right shoulder glanced the tip of Supergirl’s tricep as she lent her head closer to her ear.

“I’m sorry.” Cat’s quiet admission caused Supergirl to turn her head. “About my last remark.” She clarified. “You’ve had quite enough criticism levelled at you for one day without me calling you out for being mopey”.

Cat’s reward for her attempt to break the tension was a soft smile. “Miss Grant” Supergirl began, “I’ve sought you out in order to take up the offer of sharing my side of the story,” before adding, “Maybe, I’d also like to share a little bit of my life on Krypton before my parents sent me here? There’s so much that I’ve left unsaid about my past”. Kara swallowed the gathered lump in her throat. “I don’t want people to feel sorry for me, the first article you wrote about me was… a bitter pill to swallow, but that’s why I know you’ll set the right tone. Frank, honest and hopefully reassuring…” She practically mumbles her next words, “I know that what I’ve done to them lately will take time to forgive”.

“That sounds like a fascinating read.” The amber liquid in her glass sloshed as she waved her hands in a semi-circular motion considering the implications of her next words. “But if we’re going to do this, it should be a joint venture. You will have full proof-reading and editorial privilege before the finished article goes to print.” This caused Supergirl’s eyes to widen. “One more thing…” Cat raised a pointed index finger from the glass. “Call me Cat. An interview of this nature tends to flow much better when both parties are on a first name basis”. It was now or never, “Wouldn’t you agree… Kara?”

Supergirl made to move away. The unexpected use of her given name from Cat and the woman’s offer of the use of her own had caught her completely off-balance, she accidentally knocked Cat’s elbow causing her slackened grip on the bourbon to falter. However, before a single drop could escape, her superior reflexes caught the glass mid fall.

“Please don’t try and insult my intelligence again with your litany of excuses for you not being who I think you are.” Cat held her hand out to take the glass back, but kept it between both their grips as she met Kara’s eyes and continued, “The manner in which my normally meek and nerdy assistant conducted herself in this office the other day… How could I not notice the similar changes to Supergirl, hmm?”. Kara’s cheeks blushed in response to Cat’s scrutiny. “Whilst that was not the first time I’ve had a little office flirtation directed my way, it certainly hasn’t come from one of my assistants before…” Cat mused aloud, a hint of humour in her voice.

She decided to keep her remaining opinions about how Kara’s personality overhaul into a sexy, confident, arrogant, provocateur had elicited a flutter of attraction from her. The way that Kara’s long blonde tresses, tied up in a sophisticated bun, had sparkled under the celling light as she had lent over Cat’s desk to ask her if her new wardrobe, a tight sleeveless turtle neck paired with black and white bondage skirt was to her liking in a soft almost predatory tone had caused the normally eloquent media mogul to be well and truly lost for words. 

It had been very much to Miss Grant’s liking.

Kara pulled the glass tumbler from their mutual hold, her fingers ghosting a light brush over Cats as she did so. Cat eyes sparkled with fascination as she watched Kara stride across the room to her drinks cabinet and dispose of her glass at the bar with a practiced ease of someone who knew the setup of the its arrangements intimately. It could just be considered further testament to how thoroughly the red kryptonite ordeal had shattered Kara’s equilibrium that she had ceased to challenge Cat’s assertions regarding her alter-ego unlike the last time when they had found themselves in a similar situation on the balcony.

Kara could feel the weight of Cat’s regard for her movements without glancing up to see her face reflected in the mirrored panels behind the shelves. There was too much lying in her life already. She was emotionally exhausted from the fallout of her sister and Hank’s ruse regarding Astra’s death and the amateurish looks of reassurance from Winn and James denying that she had caused them hurt with the horrendous words she had spoken to them in the zenith of her ‘red haze’. Maybe now, with her real identity and heart-felt attraction both revealed to her boss, Kara was hopeful that she might finally achieve a balance between her alien and human personas with this woman who seemed to her to be the only person on the planet who could champion and nurture both.

For her part, Cat could see the turmoil wrestling within Kara from the tight set of her shoulders and slight tremor in her hands as she paced towards the open glass door leading back to the balcony.

“Kara? Kara please say something.”

“I’m not Supergirl when I’m around you.” The honesty of that comment caused Cat to exhale sharply in a display of sympathy. How could she help mend this broken girl?

Cat moved towards the sofa and motioned for Kara to join her. Both women sat with their bodies angled towards one other. Cat took a deep breath and began, “Before you came out as Supergirl, I had lost sight of the reasons why I do the things I do. The Tribune had lost its bite, its edge, its uncompromising ability to speak the truth and damn be the consequences.” 

Kara’s slight nod encouraged Cat to continue. “The near collapse of my newspaper was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how I was feeling about what CatCo had come to stand for. I had lost sight of why I had started this company in the first place.” Cat glanced up at the stars before addressing Kara again, “When you emerged from underneath that plane wing, I knew there and then that you would change everything.” She sent a soft smile to Kara, “I hailed Supergirl as a hero, claimed her as my own creation because I saw you as a way to help myself become one”. 

Kara let the impact of the words from her mentor settle before asking, “Miss Grant. - Cat”, she quickly corrected, trying the name out and being rewarded with a warm glow filling the eyes of the woman seated a short distance away. “Does this have anything to do with what you told James about when you were first starting out?” The quirk of a raised eyebrow from Cat had her clarifying. “He may have shared a certain story about an assignment you were given regarding a mystery actor…” She deliberately left her sentence to trail off in the hope that Cat would continue the tale in her own words.

“Well, if we’re going to write about your origins, I suppose it’s only fair that I share a little of my own.” Cat turned her body fully towards Kara and pulled her feet up under her thighs. She rested her right arm on the back of the sofa. “The reason I became a CEO is because I needed to be. I needed to be able to put other women in positions of power. The guilt I felt, still feel, over being persuaded to keep the torrid truth of a husband’s daily brutalizing of the woman he supposedly loved away from public scrutiny is what drove me to never settle for anything less than absolute conviction that the words I put into print are ones I truly believe in”.

Kara was awed by the depth of the other woman’s emotion. Her attempt to exude sympathy with a reassuring look was deflected sharply by the firm set of Cat’s jaw. “I failed Leslie even more than I failed that actress. Instead of nurturing her desire for power and influence into something that others could aspire to, I stood back and watched as she directed her toxic opinions towards any and everyone, regardless of what they stood for. It was too late to change her by then, and I realised that whatever high and mighty aspirations I had for myself when I started CatCo where hollow and false if I could turn a girl like that into Livewire.”

This time Kara did not stay silent, “Cat, you’re being too hard on yourself. You are not responsible for some actor or Leslie hurting all those innocent people”.

“Perhaps not directly”, Cat mused. “But it’s the constant drain of striving to be better than my cold, soulless mother and hiding behind the hardened exterior I’ve spent far longer building up than my media empire to survive in this merciless business. I’ve spent so long becoming this persona, that I overlook the mother, and the woman, in me and-“ She leans forward to look in Kara’s eyes, “The need to not be a total bitch to my assistant every now and again”, Kara’s light laugh is a welcome sight.

“It certainly is character building. You bring up an interesting point,”

“Oh?” Cat queries.

“In some ways I’m going through the reverse. Kara Danvers is my personality, who I am, because I’ve spent so long hiding who I am and what I can do from the world. I needed to learn to emulate the strong, self-assured superhero that my cousin is and has built up over the years practically overnight. Even though deep down I had no idea what I was doing.”

“You took on too much too soon, you’re not the first woman to do so, nor will you be the last”.

“I finally felt like I was becoming a hero Cat, and all it took was some stupid red rock from my home planet to destroy everything”.

Cat drew her face to within inches of Kara’s, deciding to address the way the young girl’s breath hitched as she did so another time. “You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice belongs only to you.”

“You always say exactly what I need to hear. It definitely is your superpower”. This time it was Cat’s turn to hesitate when the sight of Kara’s beautiful smile caused her elbow to slip from the couch.

Kara huffed out a quick laugh at seeing Cat’s embarrassment manifest into flushed cheeks at her last remark. Cat’s nervous smile in return culminated in the two woman realising that they felt so relaxed discussing themselves in such unguarded and vulnerable circumstances. The revelation was intoxicating.

“I’ll be back in a second. I’m just going to grab my notepad and phone before we make a start on this killer article” Excitement swam in Cat’s eyes as she rose from the sofa, a purposeful edge to her footsteps and Kara thought that she had never seen this amount of enthusiasm for a journalistic task in the entire time she had known the woman.

“I’m not going anywhere Cat” Kara whispered only to herself.

 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience everyone! Fair to say I struggled with setting the tone I wanted for these two in the beginning. I really needed to lay the foundation so to speak for what's coming in later chapters. 
> 
> Acknowledgements for the Josh Shipp quote "You get bitter or you get better", it seemed like a wise thing Cat would say (and make out as her own!).
> 
> As always, comments are very welcome and will encourage me to upload the next chapter even faster!
> 
> :-) littlepinkpuffin


	3. A Flight Before the Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens as our main villains are introduced but not before more Cat/Kara loveliness as they soar above National City and their feelings deepen. Que a blink-and-you'll-miss-it special guest appearance (at least in voice) as we continue towards the ultimate showdown! Thanks for sticking with me folks.

A Tactful Omission of the Facts

 

Chapter 3

They had talked for hours. Hours of some of the most stimulating conversation of Kara’s life. When Cat had clicked her phone to record and began making notations in her jagged shorthand, Kara’s first thought was that she was going to revert into the all-business, interrogative journalist from when they had had their first formal encounter on CatCo’s helipad. Cat assured her that both items were merely the tools she needed to help compose a structure for the article and help signpost any key points. She made no move to establish any emotional separation from her subject given how much she had already revealed about herself. Cat’s attentive looks and relaxed body language was all the encouragement Kara needed.

They discussed the effects of the red kryptonite, but agreed that using that term or alluding to the existence of it and any other forms were matters that should not be in the public domain. That way, they would reveal to the people that Supergirl had been exposed to a substance which altered her personality, she had been unaware of its effects and would never have willingly done the things she had if she had been fully in control of herself. The key thing was to provide the public with an honest explanation but without providing Supergirl’s enemies with any tactical advantage with the knowledge that Kryptonian physiology was not one hundred per cent infallible.

Cat had been completely engrossed when Kara discussed her upbringing on Krypton. The look on Cat’s face as she described what her home planet looked like, smelled like, what it meant to grow up and be part of an entirely alien society was nothing short of euphoric. When Cat asked her to draw some of the structures she had been describing, Kara had crossed her legs on the sofa, hastily taken the pen and notepad and filled a half dozen pages with the helix-like spirals and sharp, prism structures of her world. She found herself apologising that without access at this moment to her paints, she was unable to accurately capture how Kypton’s red sun had shrouded the land in a warm, soothing, scarlet glow. 

Kara hoped that Cat’s inability to keep the kind of smile she only really displayed when speaking about Carter from her face was more to do with learning that Kal-El was in fact her younger cousin, sent to earth as a baby whilst she had been almost thirteen years his senior, and less to do with her casual comment that she would be claiming the Pulitzer from right underneath Lois Lane’s stupid freckled nose for sure this year. Kara needn’t have worried about her motives, when Cat had held the young hero’s hand as the emotion threatened to overwhelm her as she described her last moments with her parents, Kara had never felt more assured that she could trust Cat with her secrets, and perhaps maybe with more.

It was when Cat gave a slight shiver and stifled a yawn that Kara squinted towards the bullpen and used her x-ray vision to glace at the clock, realising it was only half an hour until it struck midnight.

“Wow! I can’t believe we’ve been talking this long!” Kara exclaimed before hastily adding, “Not that I think it’s been too long- I mean longer than I had originally planned to be here but”-

“Kara.” Cat stopped her mid-rant. “Take a breath”. A now familiar spark of wonder entered her eyes before she added, “Do Kryptonians need to breathe? I’ve always wondered how flying so high doesn’t seem to affect you what with the reduced oxygen levels at altitude?”

“Yes we need to breathe Miss Grant, but we can function at much lower levels than humans…” Kara answered back. Cat shot her an admonishing look. “Cat, I meant to say Cat! Force of habit!” 

“Yes, well, it’s one you need to break. Except at the office, I don’t want to arouse suspicion”, Cat commented.

“Does this mean you’re not going to threaten to fire me this time?” A light teasing in Kara’s tone.

Cat’s amber eyes sent a warming look in Kara’s direction. “Not this time.” She replied easily. “After everything we’ve talked about tonight I realise just how much you need a sense of normality in your life. Isn’t that what you once alluded to this place providing?”

Kara smiled at the memory, “Thanks”. Her next words were more hesitant. “Though if you’re not wanting to make people suspicious, I guess you’ll still refer to me as assistant number two when Monday morning comes?”

Cat had the decency to look down at the ground in shame before rising to her feet and standing in front of Kara’s still seated form. She was flooded with a profound guilt for reducing her relationship with Kara at work to a state in which the two of them barely interacted on a civil level. “I wondered when we were going to discuss the last remaining elephant in the room.” When her eyes once again met Kara’s, they were soft and seeking understanding, “Hiring Siobhan was petty of me. I wanted to get back at you for the whole Adam thing, even though I now realise why you did what you did. You were trying to protect him from getting hurt.”

“It was more than that Cat,” Kara stood up and brought their faces level once more. “I realised that I had no right to pursue anything with Adam, with anyone, whom I can’t be honest with about my secret. It makes me wonder if I will ever find that certain someone who I can truly be myself with.” She sends a shy look at Cat, “I feel like to compartmentalize yet another part of my life, would probably destroy me. How could I expect someone else to put up with all the threats I face out there, with me constantly running off poor excuses as I fly away to battle the next big-bad out there? That’s something that a person would grow tired of very quickly”.

“That depends on the person Kara.” Cat knew she was risking revealing too much of her feelings with her next words, but the need to discover if Kara still had any notion of romance towards her eldest son proved too much not to enquire. “Speaking of my main reason for shutting you out as… As something more than an employee, is it definitely over for you and Adam? He mentioned you briefly to me when we spoke on the phone a couple of days ago.”

“It is for me Cat.” Kara stated. “I was flattered when he asked me out but I know now that what I feel for him will never have the potential to be any more than a passing fancy. He was sweet to me.”

“He also spoke to me about a girl he’d met back in Opal City, I think he was asking me in a round-about sort of way if I thought his moving on would not go down so well with you.”

Kara took a moment before she replied, “I’m glad he’s found someone. He deserves to be happy.”

“So do you.” Cat quickly fired back. 

“Yes, well, I’m sure my non-existent love life will improve greatly the minute I stop pining over someone I can’t have.” She prayed that the slow blink and way she gazed into Cat’s orbs wasn’t a giveaway that the unattainable person whom she held an overwhelming adoration for was in fact the person standing scarcely a foot away from her. 

When another shiver coursed through Cat’s body, Kara’s next words were blurted out before she could comprehend how intimate they sounded. “Let me fly you home. It will only take a few minutes and I’m reliably informed that Kryptonian’s are fairly warm to the touch”.

If Cat’s eyebrows could have risen any higher, they would have been in orbit. The thought of being flown home in the arms of a beautiful alien who saved lives on a daily basis who just so happened to be her loyal and devoted assistant whom she was already completely enamoured with sent a shuddering flutter through her heart. The sudden thundering within her chest was obviously noticed by Kara and she hoped she could pass it off as apprehension.

“There’s no need to be afraid. I won’t drop you.” Kara said.

Cat swallowed thickly, lest the lump in her throat make her voice waver. “Okay. Just let me grab my coat.” A blur of movement and gust of wind saw Kara momentarily vanish and re-appear with her jacket, pale blue and woven into contrasting patterns, it was one of Kara’s favourites. Cat turned around and allowed Kara to ease her arms into the garment. This time, it was the turn of Kara’s heart to flutter as she seemed to realise she had not stepped away once she had finished pulling the coat over Cat’s shoulders.

Still with her back to Kara, Cat rotated her head to speak in Kara’s ear, ghosting her lips ever so lightly on Kara’s lobe. “Ready when you are, Supergirl”, she whispered.

Kara encircled her right arm around Cat so that the crook of her elbow sat firmly on her right hip and her palm held the woman gently but securely over the left side of her ribcage, just below her breast. “Take my hand”, She whispered before offering her left hand and marvelling at the way Cat’s slender grip seemed to melt perfectly into her own.

They rose smoothly and silently in their current hold until they were well clear of the balcony edge and rose further still, clearing the top of CatCo tower. Kara pivoted around to allow Cat a view of the building, her beacon of peace amongst the hectic, sprawling skyline of the city.

Considering she was hovering around two hundred metres from the ground, Cat felt only exhilaration and awe, more so for the woman whose arms she was currently secured in rather than the sight before her. “Beautiful”, is all she managed to say. Her comment more for Kara than the building.

Kara tried her hardest not to let her excitement show at the feeling of Cat in her arms. The woman didn’t seem to be afraid which caused her next move to be bold and adventurous. Kara gave a quick chuckle and leaned her head forward across Cat’s left shoulder, a mischievous look befell her eyes before she said “Brace yourself!”

Cat gave a small yelp and squeezed Kara’s hand as she angled their bodies to face the distant ground below and shot them higher still so that the reflections of the city lights on their faces were soon replaced by the glowing moonlight. Their journey through the cloudless sky with the city far below them was almost mystical. Cat’s face held the look of a woman who was trying to memorise every movement, every sensation of this experience, she had never felt so free. She hooked her right ankle around the back of Kara’s calf and pulled her left hand into her chest where she held Kara’s palm across her breastbone before baiting, “Come on Kara, show me what you can really do.”

The challenge was met instantly with a rapid increase in speed and sudden decent towards the ocean as they cleared the city limits. Cat’s responding scream in exaltation as they glided inches away from the surface of the ocean was all the encouragement Kara needed as she executed a slow barrel roll, pausing midway through the manoeuvre to afford Cat a view of the stars as they neared the end of their journey towards Cat’s sea-side apartment building.

They landed amongst the swaying palms and shrubbery of Cat’s rooftop terrace. Cat turned around to face Kara, hair dazzlingly wild and windswept, she breathing hot and rapid. “That was… Well, I’m not sure how to describe it… Wow!”, She self-consciously shook her head, not used to being so inarticulate.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Kara replied, “I’m so glad you enjoyed it, I loved being able to share that experience with you.”

It was only then that both women realized they were holding on to each other’s arms but neither made any attempt to break the contact.

“Kara, I want you to listen carefully for a moment.” Cat held Kara’s gaze unwaveringly, “On Monday, I will fire Siobhan and reinstate you to be my sole assistant”. Kara made to open her mouth to respond but was silenced by Cat’s finger pressing against her lips. “At the office you will address me as Miss Grant, you will bring me luke-warm lattes and fetch me my layouts. I will continue to mispronounce your name in increasingly imaginative ways and you will show everyone how hurt you are by it”. A reserved smile graced Cat’s lips before she said, “But when we are alone, I insist you call me Cat. If there is an emergency which requires Supergirl to intervene, you will simply come to me and say you need to go. I won’t ask questions. That way, I never have to hear another atrocious excuse from the IT hobbit about the photocopier being broken for the twentieth time in a week”. That earned a fully-fledged smile from Kara and a huff of laughter. Cat moved her finger away from Kara’s lips but the other woman caught her hand and brought it back towards her to cup her face. Cat duly obliged, splaying her fingers lightly across Kara’s jawline.

“Thank you”, Kara tried to put the full force of what this woman had done for her tonight into one simple word. “Before I leave, do you mind if I check that your house is clear for you going in?” With a nod of permission from Cat, Kara turned her head to methodically survey the structure, checking for hidden threats and enemies both known and unknown. “As grateful as I am for what you did for me; you’ve made yourself a target now for anyone who wants to get at me”.

“Kara, I was a potential target long before I made that public address today. CatCo and Supergirl are intrinsically linked, have been from the start.” A misty quality entered Cat’s amber eyes as she gazed into blue, “Though I daresay, after we publish our article, it will be more than apparent to people that we are a united force, and one to be reckoned with”.

 

Kara was not so enthused at the prospect, “Everyone who knows who I am is another person who my enemies can use against me, and when that person is as famous and powerful as Cat Grant….” Kara’s eyes became hazed in worry, “Let’s just say you make a very attractive target to my enemies”.

“I can take care of myself Kara. And when that’s not enough, I trust that you will be there for me”.

Kara let out a slow breath before taking Cat’s hand, still held against her cheek, giving it a warm, chaste kiss. She reluctantly moved out of the not-quite embrace and braced herself to once again join the star filled night above. “Goodnight Cat”, she said simply.

“Goodnight Supergirl. Thank you for a wondrous evening. We should do it again sometime.” This time Cat allowed her eyes to betray just how magical the whole experience had been for her.

“We will.” And with those words, Kara shot towards the stars. Though it was a good while before the new sunrise was due to make an appearance, Kara felt as rejuvenated by the love she felt for Cat Grant in that moment as if it was high-noon in a swelteringly hot July. She gracefully arched back towards the ocean, not quite ready to end her magical night as she flew in a wide perimeter around the city. Her thoughts were interrupted with a low, resonant tone from her earpiece. One she had never heard before. An alert that was only reserved for one person, her cousin.

She brought her finger up to her ear to accept the incoming call, “Kal, what is it?”.

“Kara, it’s good to hear your voice. I’ve been reliably informed that you’re back to your old self.”

“It’s good to hear you too, and yes, I’m back.”

“That’s just what I needed to hear. Can you get to the fortress?”

“Erm, yeah, of course, is something wrong?”

“Maybe. Kalex alerted me to an intruder alarm but I’m currently in the middle of a major threat here in Metropolis. Can you go and check it out?”

“I’m on it!”

“Stronger together Kara”.

“Stronger together Kal.”

The call was disconnected and the only noise that could be heard over National City at that moment was the breaking of the sound barrier as Kara sped towards the Arctic.

 

***

 

The pure white, dark lidded eyes that spied the two women from a distance would have filled their owner with a warm regard for the emotion on display had they not belonged to the soulless, merciless form of the Silver Banshee.

Siobhan congratulated her barely contained patience as the long weeks she had masqueraded as Cat Grant’s dutiful assistant number one at CatCo seemed to be paying dividends. Thanks to her near constant presence at the photocopier, water cooler or threshold of Cat’s office hungrily devouring the half-hushed conversations of her colleagues, Siobhan had accumulated a surprisingly in-depth assortment of information pertaining to a certain covert government agency, hidden in the desert valleys beyond the city limits. Add to this her calculated seduction of the pathetic, insufferable human who ensured CatCo’s computers ran at tip top efficiency, she had also been able to hack into the servers and discover the agency’s name. The Department of Extranormal Operations.

Exposing the DEOs existence to the world may have been an aspiration once held by her humanoid counterpart as well as the foolish notion of one day having her impossible to spell name embroidered on a collection of bath towels. Alas, these were mortal ambitions, ones that she had now transcended as she truly embraced her banshee heritage. 

She knew she should be above such petty feelings of jealously, but hearing Cat Grant’s intentions to terminate her employ after she had given her no cause to fault her abilities, sent a torrent of rage through her already gruesome visage. How dare this lowly human bequeath that Kara Danvers, Supergirl, was the only one worthy of fetching her morning coffee. The arrogance of this woman was choking. Siobhan’s meticulously considered plan to send a crippling blow to the DEO was almost at hand. The detailed information about a certain inmate formerly affiliated with CatCo had been surprisingly easy to come by from Winn’s computer terminal. She had to admit, that for a lowly ape descendant, his un-paralleled grasp of computer programming had been the final clincher which allowed her to back trace the DEOs precise location and the exact construction of Leslie Willis’s electrically insulated prison.

The newest revelation regarding Supergirl’s true name now meant that nothing would stand before her quest for ultimate control of National City. In learning that the caped hero answered to the name of Kara Danvers, she would be able to call upon the ancient magic of her ancestors in order to rip the young woman asunder with her banshee wail. Supergirl may be bulletproof, but her ears were even more vulnerable to her abilities than any human’s. As she watched the hero impart her insipid compliments to none other than their supposed ice-queen of a boss, Siobhan chuckled in maniacal glee to herself that she had discovered the true depth of feeling that each woman held for the other. This would make her plans to seize power all the more fulfilling when she considered the horror that would befall her soon to be ex-bosses face when she killed the woman she was trying so fervently to deny she was in love with. 

Siobhan had only one more decision to consider. Did she first break in to Cat Grant’s insufferably ostentatious dwelling and drag the media mogul out kicking and screaming by her hair; or continue with her original objective to recruit the assistance of Leslie Willis and her mastery of all things electrical to turn National City back to the dark ages. A city unable to mount a defence against their combined abilities did seem like the more prudent option. Siobhan reluctantly retreated from her vantage point, Cat Grant could wait a few more hours, she would allow the woman to bask in the last remaining feelings of contentment she was ever likely to have. 

Right now Siobhan had more pressing matters to attend to. 

 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! This is the first chapter I have managed to start and finish in the same session, I admit that it has taken on a far wider scope in terms of characters and moving plot pieces than I originally intended. But if you're going to write your entirely own version of "World's Finest" then go big or go home, right?
> 
> As always, encouraging comments and support never go amiss and help feed the muse!


	4. Speed and Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara meets Barry. It's a lot of fun! I'll admit it's a bit of a filler chapter before the action starts next chapter but I promise you it's worth it! Cute Danvers sister moment and Supercat references at the end. The Queen will be returning in Chapter 5.

A Tactful Omission of the Facts

Chapter 4

Kara’s voyage to the Fortress was much swifter on this occasion without having to compensate for a human passenger. During her flight north, Kara at least had the foresight to alert her sister to where she was heading. Alex’s voice had been thick with sleep but the soldier in her was quick to rouse and tell her sister to be careful. The two had discussed Kara’s visit to the Fortress a few weeks ago, Alex understood her sister’s refusal to reveal its location to her and the DEO, given Superman’s unwillingness to work with the covert organization. It was not Kara’s secret to reveal and now that she had finally seen with her own eyes the wonder and scope of her Uncle Jor’s design, she felt a renewed connection to her heritage and a greater bond with her cousin, one that was theirs and theirs alone. Alex ended their brief call by informing Kara that she was on her way back into DEO headquarters. That way she could monitor any unusual activity via their satellites and try to get a start on what her sister might be heading towards. They both wished each other a safe journey.

As Kara’s vision honed in and she descended towards the one crevice she was seeking amongst the endless expanse of broken jarring ice fissures and breath-taking frozen mountains, she was grateful that the continent was still in its summer season. The continuous presence of earth’s yellow sun beating down on its northern pole at this particular time of year all but eradicated the weariness in Kara’s bones as she realised she had not seen her bed on what was now approaching thirty-six hours. Her examination of the glacial blue door revealed that the Crest of El was undisturbed and she quickly located the equally untouched dwarf star key from exactly where she had left it buried under a thin layer of soft snow.

She placed the key over the locking mechanism and braced herself for whatever lay beyond. From the moment the door began to slide open, it was apparent to Kara that whatever safety protocols the Fortress had in place were in full effect. The deep ocean hues of solidified water which normally bathed the cavernous structures within with a serene blue were now replaced with an angry red flickering of light emanating from multiple free standing beacons that appeared to have erupted through the ice structure. A loud, shrill alarm echoed through the great hall, leaving Kara to ponder whether the small fallen shards of ice that now periodically littered the floor where a result of the sound vibrating off the walls or had been caused by whatever had activated the security failsafe in the first place.

Kara passed under the statues of Rao and Yuda with their joined hands holding aloft the symbolic representation of her long lost home world, continuing to the inner structure where she recalled the control console was located. Kalex was already activated and floated over to her immediately.

“Greatings Kara Zor-El.”

“Kalex, what’s going on? Why is the Fortress behaving like this?”

“The fortress has initiated emergency lock-down protocols due to an unknown entity breaching its structure.”

Kara frowned, “But how is that possible? I saw the doorway, the key was undisturbed and I saw no evidence of a break-in?”

“The breach emanated from inside the Fortress”, Kalex extended an arm, indicating for Kara to follow him further inside the structure. “We have isolated the entity within a security force field which so far is  
successfully containing it, despite its attempts to escape”.

Kara stopped in her tracks when her eyes took in the sight before her; a glowing red lattice structure in the shape of an icosahedron. Inside, she could make out a rapidly moving streak of lightning, although Kara had never before encountered the type of lightning that could rapidly change direction and appeared to be roaming every part of the security field looking for vulnerabilities.

“What is it?” Kara gasped.

The question had barely left her lips before she had her answer, or at least part of an answer. The lightning had ceased it’s frantic looping and had now taken the form of a human, a man even. The figure was dressed strangely in a skin tight deep red body suit with an aptly placed lightning bolt symbol on his chest. Kara could make out the strong jawline of its occupant but the rest of his face was concealed behind a skull capped mask. 

If anyone were to ask, Kara would attribute the slight jump she gave when the figure before her spoke to the copious amount of adrenaline in her system rather than sheer surprise at being addressed so boldly.

“Is this any way to treat a guest? Especially one who was invited?”, the man’s voice sounded confident and honest enough in his misplaced assumptions.

Kara made sure her voice sounded equally assertive when she responded, “Well I certainly never invited you, care to tell me who you are?”

“I’m The Flash”. He said simply, as though she should already know the answer.

“The… what?”

“The Flash”. This time, the man enunciated each syllable.

“What kind of a name is that?” Kara queried.

“A name for the fastest man alive! Don’t get me wrong, there were a couple of other contenders before the name stuck. What do they call you?”

“I’m,” What harm could it be to tell him, “I’m Supergirl”.

“Who?”

“Supergirl”, Kara repeated a little louder this time.

“Not Superwoman?”, The look Kara shot back in response gave him the distinct impression that he had inadvertently stumbled on a particularly sensitive subject.

Kara ignored the query and instead continued with her questioning. “Well Mr Flash, can I ask what exactly you’re doing here?”.

“Like I already said Supergirl,” Barry gave a tentative sideways smile, “I was invited, by that thing.”

Kara followed where Barry was now pointing his finger behind her, she turned and noticed that the unusual golden ring with the “L” displayed on it had somehow fallen from its pedestal and was now lying in a pool of melted ice. She moved to pick it up.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you!” Barry warned, “It seems to have a mind of its own, wouldn’t want you to end up like me.”

“What exactly happened?”

“Well, I was travelling through a trans dimensional breach similar to the one that I had journeyed through when my team and I discovered Earth 2. However, unlike the previous occasion when I’ve had access to the Speedforce, my trip through the vortex this time was different. I could see the parallel version of earth in the distance but my attention was drawn to something else. I heard a loud shrill ringing and became focused on an image of that very ring”, Barry paused for a breath, “I was drawn to it, mesmerized almost, so I reached out to take hold of it.” Barry’s eyes became wide and dream-like, “That’s when I saw the figure, dressed in red and blue with a strange sort of S like symbol on their chest. They were in trouble, calling out in pain”, He looked directly into Kara’s eyes and said, “That’s all the invitation I needed to burst through and render assistance.”

Kara stared blankly back at him. She had no idea what he had just told her. It seemed like a very convoluted story about alternate Earths and magic rings of all things. But the earnestness within the man stood before her was absolute, for reasons she could not wholly explain, she believed him.

“Right. Erm, let me get this straight…”

“I know it’s all quite complicated”- Barry began but was cut off by Kara.

“You are here from an alternate dimension, one of just a handful that you seem to be able to journey to from your own.” Barry’s gave a slight nod of affirmation and Kara took two steps closer towards the containment field. “During one of these trips, you have somehow had a fleeting glimpse of a mysterious ring and when you went to touch it, you saw a vision of someone in need of help, so you, what? Breach the vortex wall and came through to my reality?”

“You catch on quick.” Was all Barry could say in response and he made little effort to hide how impressed he was with Kara’s analysis.

“What I’m still not clear on,” Kara crossed her arms across her chest, “And just to be sure, I’m not clear on a number of things already, but what exactly is the Speedforce?”

“Well, that’s what my team and I are calling the trans dimensional network that I seem to be able to access when I use my abilities to travel at velocities approaching light speed”.

“Speedforce? There wasn’t a better name than that?” Kara’s eyes glowed with a hint of humour.

“Hey! It’s a working title for now. My friends came up with it.”

Kara, still hesitant but quickly warming to Barry’s easy charm asked, “You have friends who know about you?”

“Yep”.

“And you’re a superhero back on your earth?”

“Correct. I keep my city safe and try to stop the dangerous metahumans who get a little too big for their boots and decide they want the place for themselves.”

“What’s a metahuman?”

“That’s what I am. But we use the name to describe anyone who has acquired extra normal abilities through a source that could be mutant, technological, supernatural or extra-terrestrial in nature.”

“Are there a lot of metahumans where you’re from?” Kara enquired.

“Enough to keep me wearing this suit more often than my casual attire sometimes.”

“Is that why you wear the mask,” Kara smiled, “To protect your secret identity?”

“Sure, don’t we all?” Barry raised his hands as if it was obvious.

“Not me”, Kara replied, “I do what I do without a mask.”

“So everyone on this earth knows who you are?” Barry seemed astounded.

“No. Only a select few. For me, it’s a little backwards. I was masquerading as a human long before I embraced my abilities and became Supergirl, so I’ve always had that to go back to”.

“You’re not human?”

“Nope. My home planet was called Krypton.”

“But you look like one!”

“Thanks for noticing.” Kara replied sarcastically.

“I’ve never met an alien before! This is so cool!”

Kara’s initial defensiveness at Barry’s earlier comment was replaced by a quick, tension diffusing smile.  
But Barry wasn’t done asking some questions of his own, “So how come people don’t recognize you?”

“People see only what they want to see I guess.” Kara mused, then moved over to the ring still abandoned in the meted ice. She stilled another protest from Barry by holding up a hand to reassure him she knew what she was doing. She beckoned Kalex over to her and spoke quietly to the robot out of earshot of Barry. The curious entity floated off to one of the nearby caverns and returned a moment later with a small translucent case, just big enough to encase the ring. Kalex hovered over the ring and the case wall opened briefly to encompass the shiny cargo before handing it over to Kara.

“I’ve placed it in a Kryptonian security field, similar to the one holding you but on a much smaller scale. On my planet, we were quite adept at locking away things that we perceived as threats.” Kara stood up and placed the ring box in a small utility pocket just above her right hip. “This should stop it from hopefully activating again before we’ve figured out how to use it to send you back”.

“But I can’t go back until I saved the person I was sent here to find!” Barry’s face now full of concern.

“Trust me when I say this, but the Superheroes of this world can take care of themselves.” Was Kara’s only response. “However, I think it’s best you come back with me to my city and we can try and figure out how to get you home with the help of my team.” Kara turned to the robot, “Kalex, deactivate the security field around Mr Flash please”.

There was a brief flickering and then Barry was able to step out from the confines of his prism prison.

“Thanks. Not just for getting me out of that thing, but for trusting me.” Before he added, “And it’s The Flash, not Mr Flash”.

“Oh I don’t entirely trust you Flash, but I’m fairly confident I could stop you if I had to.”

A wolfish grin appeared on Barry’s face, “Oh really? Does that mean you’re going to show me exactly what makes them call you Supergirl? You haven’t told me anything about your abilities.”

“Well, that’s because it’s probably easier to show you.” Kara motioned for Barry to follow her towards the entrance of the Fortress, pleased that Barry wasn’t making any effort to hide his excitement and wonder as he passed through the great hall into the freezing temperatures beyond the Fortress. Kara turned towards Barry and said, “We have to cross the ocean, think you can handle that?”

Barry just huffed in response. “Piece of cake”, he levelled a mischievous look at her, “Question is, will you be able to keep up?”

“Is that a challenge?” Kara’s face now filled with a roguish glint, “You are so on!”

Barry sped off, heading north towards the continental USA. He didn’t know exactly his destination but at this early stage, he knew roughly where to start. He had decided to not set off full force, not wishing to embarrass the poor girl by leaving her too far behind. To his surprise, Kara appeared by his side in less than two seconds, running alongside him with a colossal grin on her face.

“Is that all you got Flash? Don’t leave me hanging!”

A surge of yellow lightning saw Barry leave Kara in a blast of wind and sea vapour. Despite whatever reasons had brought him to this world, he allowed himself to indulge in the fun of this moment. A sonic boom announced the arrival of Kara once again. Barry looked up to see her soaring overhead.

“Wait! You didn’t tell me you could fly! That is so cool!”

Kara chuckled lightly in response to Barry’s gushing’s. She was really starting to warm up to the guy. 

“Come on, follow me!”

And with that, both heroes began their journey back towards National City.

 

***

 

Agent Alex Danvers stood at the heart of the DEO’s command centre. She was rarely unable to at least make a semi-educated guess at the various readings the satellite imagery transmitted back their way from orbit. That was, until this moment. True to her word, Alex had pulled up at headquarters to greet a bleary eye nightshift and quickly apprised them of some potential alien activity emanating from the Arctic continent. Her colleagues had quickly rallied around and had been equally as perplexed as Alex was at the readings emanating from the north pole. An unusual seismic event had registered over a large body of ice, completely uncharacteristic for that particular region of the continent. Alex wondered briefly if they had finally located Superman’s mysterious fortress but right now she had more intriguing readings to analyse.

Two small blips appeared on radar shortly after the quake. Alex was currently reviewing the satellite telemetry in an effort to confirm her suspicion that one of them signified her sister. The second blip was truly perplexing, it seemed to disappear periodically and its velocity was impossible to measure even with the sophisticated tools at their disposal. A familiar sound of footfalls drew Alex’s gaze from the monitors and she uncrossed her arms in preparation for bringing the DEO’s head up to speed.

“What’s the latest on Supergirl Alex?” Hank asked as he drew up beside her.

“Nothing new so far sir, we were attempting to trace two fast moving bogies that we believed emanated from the Fortress, but the readings are proving impossible to track in real time. Last confirmed co-ordinates were about 150 kilometres West of MacKenzie King Island.”

“When was the last time you had contact with your sister?”

“Nothing since she called to say she was en route to the Fortress”.

“That was over three hours ago”. Hank mused, the concern evident in his voice. “I know you don’t want to hear this right now, but I’m going to send a team to the last confirmed co-ordinat”-

“That won’t be necessary Hank! We’re fine!” Kara announced as she tried unsuccessfully to tame the swagger in her shoulders as she approached. Barry not three paces behind her.  
“We?! Supergirl who the hell is this?” Hank growled, “What part of secret covert government agency do you continually not seem to get Miss Danvers?”

“No! It’s okay.” Kara held her hands out, “This is Barry, aka, The Flash.” Kara looked over to her newest friend and sent him a quick smile before proclaiming. “He’s a superhero from a parallel reality!”.

Hank and Alex just stared back at her, faces unreadable. Neither moved or said anything. Kara wondered how long they could keep this up for. Seriously, they weren’t even blinking, she was very impressed.

“I’m gonna need a coffee.” Alex sighed.

“Me too”, said Hank.

***

Despite only knowing Kara for less than a few hours, Barry felt an easy friendship forming with the girl wonder. During their journey to National City, the two of them had really gone for it in terms of demonstrating their powers. It had started off calmly enough, Barry and Kara simply trying to out sprint each other as they sped across the ocean. Then, when Kara had demonstrated she could fly, Barry had shown her how high he could leap using his super speed and the two had engaged in a rather childish game of tag with Barry dodging the short bursts of heat vision Kara leveled at his feet every time he fell back to earth and Kara in turn had been majestically ducking and diving away from the electrical bursts Barry shot out from his hands in retaliation. Their transcontinental, gravity-defying dog fight had caused them to get a little side-tracked to say the least.

The two had called it quits only when Kara had used her freeze-breath ahead of Barry, causing him to slip and stumble on the frozen water beneath him. The resulting damage to a particularly serene looking ice cliff which now had an impression of Barry’s sliding backside along its entire length made for a particularly embarrassing addition to the delicate lines of erosion already present on its majestic face. In order to spare the planet from anymore damage, the pair had reluctantly decided that play time was over and renewed their course south.

She had told him her name was Kara. She had offered it to him in a gesture of good will after revealing to him that his mask was not concealing anything from her x-ray vision, which again he had eagerly gushed was very cool. She had joked that she had seen his name on the bank card he kept enclosed in one of his suit compartments but that even without knowing it, his face looked honest and trusting which was something she was not used to with most people she met in this line of work.

Their arrival at the DEO was nothing short of head turning. But the flurry of excitement, cautiousness and curiosity had quickly been tamed by the professionalism of the agents present and now he was obligingly playing the role of their latest lab project. Agent Alex, who happened to be a relation of Kara’s, was completely engrossed in the various tests she was running on the mysterious ring and trying to find commonalities between the dull radiation reading it was emitting and Barry’s utterly fascinating cellular structure. He’d lost count of how many times the Agent had tried to suppress her excitement by covering up the words “wow” and “amazing” with a cough or quick sip of her coffee. He’d also lost count of how many coffees this kindred scientific spirit had downed.

“Shouldn’t we continue this tomorrow?” He tentatively asked, “The way you’re zipping around this lab could give me a run for my money!” He said jokingly.

Alex sheepishly looked up from her microscope, “Sorry, I guess you’re right, I tend to get a bit carried away sometimes.”

“Hey, I know the feeling.” Barry replied and the two shared a mutually appreciative smile.

The moment was broken by Kara’s blustering entrance into her sister’s lab. “Hey guys, how’s it going in here?”

“Slowly”, was the only reply Alex gave. “The radiation from the ring has been declining gradually for the last hour and a half. I have no idea what that means.” Alex stifled a yawn and a quick glance at the clock confirmed she definitely get at least a few hours’ sleep before dawn. “Kara, you should go home and rest, you’ve been up a long time.”

“Fine. At least tomorrow’s Saturday, but that means I won’t see Cat for a couple of days.” Kara said before she realised her slip. Her sister’s curiosity was definitely roused now. Alex took her arm gently and the two of them exited the lab and stood down one of the side corridors.

“Since when have you been disappointed lately to go into work?” Alex asked.

Kara looked at her sister for a long moment, then her shoulders slumped and she quietly replied, “Since Cat and I both cleared the air and know all of each other’s secrets.”

Alex’s face was horrified, “What were you thinking Kara!”, she took her sisters shoulders in her hands and hardened her gaze, “This is exactly what I warned you against!”

“I couldn’t keep lying to her Alex”, Kara shot back. “She knew already. She’s always known, despite you and Hank’s efforts to confuse her.” Kara removed her sister’s hand’s and held them in her own, “I trust her. We can trust her. And together, she’s going to help me restore the city’s faith in me after all that’s happened.”

“Kara, I know the last few days have been tough on you”, the sisters had had little opportunity to discuss the fall out of the red kryptonite exposure privately as a family. “But maybe you’re still not thinking clearly. Like I said before, this woman seems to have a unique effect on you.”

Kara bristled at Alex’s insinuation that she was still not fully recovered. “Alex, I feel like I’m thinking clearly for the first time in a long time, since maybe even before I put on the suit. Cat and I talked about everything, she was so understanding and let me see a side of her I never have before, that maybe no one else ever has”. Kara paused to consider her next words, “I think I have feelings for her Alex. Ones that go beyond that of a mentor or a confidant.” She looked her sister squarely in the eyes and said, “She’s special to me.”

“That’s what I was afraid of”, Alex huffed out. “I knew there was something more going on between you two than you were letting on. Does she feel the same way?”

“I don’t know,” Shrugged Kara. “There’s been a bit of light flirting, nothing serious”, Kara clasped her hands together and drew then under her chin, “But I have caught her looking at me with such, I don’t want to use the word love but there’s definitely something there, something more than friendship. At least I hope so”.

“Oh Kara, I want you to be able to find someone you can share all of yourself with. I’m happy you think you have,” Alex couldn’t help herself, “But the Queen of All Media, really?”

“She’s more than just that overused moniker”, Kara defended.

“Fine”, Alex relented, “I’ll need to tell Hank about yet another person who knows your secret, but I will talk him out of doing anything about it just yet. We have more pressing matters to address,” her gaze drifting back to Barry and her lab.

“Do you think you can send him back to his earth?” Kara queried.

“I’m not sure. The readings from that ring are very confusing. He can stay in the barracks here until we figure it out, if we figure it out.”

“I know you will Alex, I have faith in you”, Kara knew her sister needed to hear those words.

Alex place her hand on her sister’s cheek and spoke softly in response to the praise, “And I have faith in you, and your judgement, I just need to say it more I think”.

“Thanks Alex”.

Alex took her hand back, now in full DEO agent mode once more. “Right, well, go home and sleep. I’ll call you later today with any news”. She began to walk back to her lab before stopping and turning around, “Oh, and Kara?”

“Yes?”

“Despite how bad ass your current dress sense is, you might wanna think about wearing the blue one again. Let the city know you’re back”, Alex was pushing but she needed to know how her sister felt about making a public appearance again.

“I’ll think about it Alex. Promise.”

Kara said a quick goodbye to Barry and left the base still under the last remaining shroud of night. She hoped her dreams could answer the lingering hesitation she had about where her relationship with Cat would go from here. It was exciting and terrifying in equal measure. 

Good thing she was Supergirl.

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay folks, been nightshift all week and my body clock is in complete reverse to the rest of the world. Thank you so much for your comments, especially diarrheamorgendorffer and Relven, they really do help inspire me to keep writing!
> 
> Can't wait for Fallen! Obviously my fanfic completely ignores the fact that puppy threw her master off the roof...


	5. Fallen Empires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just before dawn, Siobhan launches her devastating attack on the DEO, leaving the fate of certain heroes unknown. Livewire and Silver Banshee escape, no alarm is raised due to Livewire’s crippling blow to communications. The evil duo, fresh from their victory, set their sights on another target, CatCo. Leading to Cat Grant's brutal reunion with her former protégé.
> 
> Beware the archive warnings folks! There's a fair bit of whump in this chapter. Enjoy!

A Tactful Omission of The Facts

Chapter 5

Siobhan’s patience was about to be rewarded. She had held out from executing her plan until the last hour before dawn. The large expanse of desert, its topography flat and lifeless except for the neat row of concrete fallout bunkers signifying her target was too exposed for her approach not be detected during daylight. She emerged into the clearing just as the armoured patrol jeep rounded another corner of its perimeter check. The melodious whistle of ancient magic had left her lips and entered the ears of the unfortunate agents before she was even visible to their blazing headlights. Agent Ramone’s head dropped onto the steering wheel and the jeep came to an abrupt stop against a raised edged of sand covered bedrock. The damage would be minor from the crash, but the internal injuries to their brain tissue from her deathly lullaby would ensure that no advanced warning would be given.

She approached the last bunker in the row of four, her stark white eyes contemplating the large solid steel door and impenetrable locking mechanism. Siobhan parted her lips slightly, clenched her teeth and let her vocal cords resonate a high pitched sound which she skillfully adjusted in tone until she could see the metal structure before her flicker and oscillate revealing a sight of the elevator platform beyond. She had rarely used her teleporting ability to pass through solid objects, preferring to only utilise the skill when she had a clear view of her intended destination. However, she needed her presence to remain unnoticed for as long as possible and this way the only option she knew would conceal her movements until the last possible moment. She phased through the metal barrier, rendered temporarily immaterial by her melody, then proceeded to the lift platform and began her decent into the heart of the DEO.

The half dozen agents hunched over their consoles in the main bullpen were incapacitated by her high pitched sleeping song before any of them were aware what was happening. But the cavernous structure of the secret facility was going to be a challenge; its architecture making it near impossible for Siobhan to deliver a singular tone throughout the facility which would be able to take out all of the humans within at the same time. When a loud deep alarm began to sound and the emergency lighting was activated, Siobhan knew that at least one person had escaped her attack.

Her eyes quickly darted across the monitors in front of her. She needed to act quickly if she stood any chance of locating her quarry. The few override commands she entered into the DEO mainframe indicated that Leslie was located in cell number 4, its power source completely isolated from the rest of the base. She would have to go down to the lowest level of the base and disable the door directly if she was to stand any chance of fulfilling her mission. Out of the corner of her eye, Siobhan spotted a loudspeaker machine and suddenly realised the best way to neutralise the entire base would be to deliver a crippling noise from her talented vocal cords directly through the facilities’ PA system.

Just as she was within reach of the transmit button, the sound of gunfire had Siobhan quickly turning towards her attacker just as the bullet bounced harmlessly from her left shoulder. She smiled sweetly at the slender brunette stood about thirty feet away, the agent having taken partial cover behind a concrete support column. The female agent had impressed Siobhan with her ability to catch her unawares, very few people had been able to do that. But now she was going to show her just how foolish the attempt to kill her was. She might even have a little fun with her along the way.

 

***

 

Alex knew she should have gone to bed hours ago; she had exhausted all her efforts in trying to figure out how a superhero from another dimension could suddenly appear in their reality thanks to a distress call from a mysterious golden ring. She knew it was a bad idea, but decided one more coffee couldn’t do any more damage than the last five she had consumed since midnight, she may as well stay up and catch a few hours of rack time in the barracks later that day. 

It was a lazy habit, but Alex had become accustomed to checking the live security feed covering the command centre before she left her lab on her regular coffee trip. The camera had an ideal view of the pot she was intent on using and she should be able to see if Agent Hanson had fulfilled his promise to brew up a fresh batch before the early shift arrived.

Alex couldn’t decide whether the ghost-like figure she saw prowling towards her colleagues was real or a result of her over-exerted eyes making phantoms out of nothingness. She glimpsed it for an instant before the figure appeared to flicker and re-materialise right next to the central console where Vasquez normally sat. Its mouth appeared to open and static consumed the monitor. Alex’s attention was then diverted to a faint high pitched noise that reminded her of the ringing a person normally experienced in their ears after a particularly loud concert.

She drew her eyes back to the monitor, the image went black for a second and when the feed resumed, all of the agents in the bullpen were prone on the ground. Crap. Not her imagination. Alex quickly ran across to the opposite wall of her lab and activated the intruder alarm. She had never before seen anything like the thing currently hacking into their mainframe, but she swore she would do everything in her power to try and stop it. She cursed quietly when she realised she had committed the rookie error of leaving her cell in her locker after she had grabbed a quick comfort break an hour earlier. She would have to do this without her sister’s help, but at least she knew Hank would be notified of the security alert automatically via his phone and would already be on his way. All she had to do was hold the fort until reinforcements arrived.

Alex drew her sidearm, pulled open the glass door to her lab and in a last minute stroke of genius, paused and went back to retrieve the black pair of ear defenders she had failed to return to the firing range from her session the day before. She silently moved through the corridors towards central command, her aim soon expertly locked on the figure currently hunched over a keyboard.

When the bullet bounced uselessly off of the black clad form, Alex learned that the being before her was at least corporeal for the most part but now it was looking directly at her with a villainous sneer. The creature took a deep breath and a moment later a shock wave emanated from its wide open mouth hitting her with the force of a solid wall. Alex was thrown back from the crumbling remains of the pillar she had sought cover behind, her shoulder blades being the first part of her to connect with the hard floor before a backwards somersault and some graceless sliding found her deposited against the back wall. She was dazed, blinking slowly but purposefully in an effort to bring her vision back into focus. A cold firm grip on her throat caused her eyes to shoot open as she was bodily lifted from the floor and held against the wall by Banshee’s one armed stranglehold.

The creature used the hand not currently choking her to death to callously tear away the ear protection from her head. Alex could feel a sticky wetness in both ears, realising that the defenders have not been completely effective against this monster’s auditory assault. It leant in towards her and spoke in a rasped, haunting voice, “How long until reinforcements arrive?”

Alex pursed her lips and tried to swallow against the fingers constricting her throat, “Go to hell!” She gasped out.

The creature laughed at her petty attempt at defiance, “Very well then, guess we’ll find out soon enough.” It released the suffocating hold on her throat and Alex dropped back onto the floor, drawing much needed air into her lungs. The reprieve was brief as the creature twisted her left arm behind her back and pulled her along the rubble dusted corridor back to the command console. “Tell me what security measures are in place around Cell 4!” It demanded.

Alex let a slow toothless smile gather on her face. This thing wasn’t getting anything out of her. 

“Very well, we’ll do this the hard way…” Banshee expertly tapped her hand across the keyboard and pulled up the duty roster listing all of the agents currently on base. She hoped, given the unsocial hour, that the list would be relatively small and she could quickly discern if this agent had the required security clearance she needed. A moment later, she opened a side window on the monitor which displayed the DEO ID and dossier of one senior agent Alex Danvers.

Alex watched as the creature before her morphed from an expression of deep concentration to that of unbridled triumph. “Good, you appear to be second in command Agent… Danvers. Danvers? An uncommon name…” It mused, “I know a rather annoying blonde who shares the same surname as yourself Agent,” Banshee searched her hostage’s face for the slightest semblance of recognition at the mention of her CatCo rival. Alex tried to maintain a neutral expression but feared the worst when it spoke again, “I don’t see much of a family resemblance between you?”, the response veering between a statement and a question. Banshee twisted Alex’s arm some more, enjoying the way her prey’s muscles tensed and quivered in pain. “I recently learned another name that sunny Kara likes to go by… I suspected she was affiliated with the government somehow; your presence here only confirms it.” She pulled Alex’s face to within inches of her own, “You must be important to Supergirl, which unfortunately means that you are very unlikely to live through this”.

Banshee dragged Alex, still in an arm lock, through the facility and used the elevator to get to sub level seven. As the doors slid open to the floor, the two were confronted by four agents aiming copious weaponry at their uninvited guest. “Stand down! Release the hostage!” Demanded the nearest agent. Banshee covered Alex’s ears with her hands and unleashed a deafening wail at the strike team. Alex had barely enough time to glance down at her fallen comrades, their lifeless eyes frozen in death before she once again felt Banshee pull her towards the end of the corridor and the outer threshold of Cell 4. She was roughly deposited on the floor and watched helplessly as Banshee made quick work of the door, pummelling it into rubble with her immensely strong fists.

Leslie’s clear plastic stasis pod come coffin came into view as Alex was pulled through the makeshift breach in the door. The monitors indicated that her life signs were stable and the cocktail of drugs coursing through her veins were working at optimal efficiency, keeping Leslie both tangible and heavily sedated. “Now, Agent Danvers, you will enter your clearance code to wake my new friend up.”

“Over my dead body.” Was Alex’s blunt reply.

“It won’t be yours. It will be the bodies of every single human within this facility if you do not do as I wish!” The creature whispered menacingly. Alex was out of options; she could try to stall for time but she honestly had no idea how long Hank was going to take to mount a counter offensive. How many more agents would this monster kill before then? She approached the palm scanner and hesitated over the sensors. “I won’t ask again Agent.” Banshee warned.

Alex rested her right hand against the cool glass of the scanner. The print was verified and she was requested to enter her clearance code. “Supergirl will stop you.” Alex calmly promised as her hand hovered over the keypad. Noticing her hesitation, Banshee took her other hand and lightly caressed the back of it before wrapping her fingers around Alex’s clenched fist and squeezed. Hard. The sound of Alex’s screams mingled with that of a sickening crush as several bones in her hand crumpled under the Banshee’s grip. She collapsed to her knees and shakily reached out to enter the necessary command to rouse Leslie from her slumber. A sickeningly satisfied grin overcame Banshee’s face and she lazily shoved Alex aside, the agent’s head impacted with the nearest wall, her body sliding down to the floor unconscious.

 

***

 

Barry was awake and alert before the first shrill sound of the alarm had fully enveloped the barracks. His makeshift accommodations were sparse but functional and he at least had the room to himself. He had removed his mask in order to sleep and now that he had found out that the Barry Allen of this reality had died in a lab accident around the time he had first been gifted his abilities, he felt less of a need to maintain his disguise. He had no idea what the alarm meant but he knew that any alert triggered within an agency responsible for hunting aliens and other threats to humanity could only mean bad news. Barry jumped up from his rack and went to the door. It was locked and he couldn’t see any personnel through the small window to open it from the other side. So much for gaining the DEO’s trust he thought.

Barry reached out and ran his hands down the smooth metal of the door, he used his rapid reflexes to shake his fingers and rub his palms along the dead bolt. It took less than ten seconds for the steel to glow bright red, groaning under the intense friction generated by Barry’s abilities. He kicked open the melted lock and turned left, following the green line painted on the floor which signified the route back to the command centre. However, before he could gain access, a further obstacle stood in his way. This time it was a large concrete reinforced blast door and he most certainly did not possess the relevant key card to disable it. 

By the time Barry had used his hands to burrow a path through, the sight which greeted him at the end of the corridor only confirmed the worst. Barry zipped between the fallen agents, dismayed to find the still warm but lifeless bodies slumped against various consoles. He found Alex’s lab empty and he briefly wondered if she had gone home before the alarm was triggered. Given the diligence to which she had thrown herself into her research earlier, he strongly suspected she was still somewhere within the base. Barry noticed a small trail of blood drops glistening under the red neon glow of the emergency lighting. He followed the trail to the elevator shaft and realised he would need to check every floor in order to reacquire the trail. After what felt like an eternity but in reality could not have been more than five minutes, Barry found himself on sublevel 7, picking himself through the bodies of another four unfortunate souls stilled in death clutching their guns. At the threshold of an open cell door he spotted one beaten and bloody Alex Danvers lying just beyond. His eyes then fell upon a ghost-like creature, clad in dark rags with black and white streaked hair falling wild around its, her, face. She was not alone. There was another woman, dressed in human clothes but deathly pale and with black pupil-less eyes, sitting up within some kind of stasis pod and looking like she was trying to get her bearings. They hadn’t noticed Barry yet so he took a moment to listen to their conversation.

“As I was saying, there’s not a lot of time to explain everything, but if we’re going to bring National City to its knees, we’re going to need each other”. The ghoul-like figure spoke.

“Listen, whatever you are, I don’t play well with others, never have. So why would I need your help to get what I’m owed by this city for what it’s done to me?”

“Your arrogance is what put you in this cell in the first place!” The ghost shot back. “Supergirl and Cat Grant managed to defeat you with a few barbed comments and a water main! If we work together, draw from each other’s strengths, then we will be unstoppable… Especially now I know Supergirl’s identity!” It boasted.

“I suppose you make a good point. But how do I know you won’t stab me in the back once we’ve made the city ours?” 

“Leslie, Leslie… How can I stab you in the back if you’re made out of electricity, hmmm?

“Fine. We work together. But on one condition”, Leslie said, raising her chin.

“Name it.”

“Cat Grant is mine and mine alone.” The two women stared at each other for a moment, each regarding the other carefully should this tentative negotiation fall through.

“We have a deal”, the ghost replied. “Now, I managed to break in to this facility, but it’s going to take your unique talents to get us out”.

“Not so fast ladies!” Barry had heard enough, he had to stop them before they killed anymore people.

The ghoul’s response was instant, she opened her mouth and sent a wave of sound in his direction. Fortunately for Barry, his tremendous reflexes allowed him to visualize the sound waves travelling towards him and vibrate his ear drums to block out the demonic wail. The force by which the sound hit him however, caused Barry to be pushed back a few metres but he was otherwise unharmed.

“What kind of freak are you supposed to be?”, Leslie drawled as she raised herself out of her glass tomb.

“The kind that’s going to stop you both!”, Barry super sprinted in Banshee’s direction and threw her into the cell back wall with enough force to leave an outline of her shape imbedded into the concrete. She appeared dazed momentarily and Leslie moved to shield her rescuer.

“You’re pretty fast, but can you out run electricity?”, Leslie shot forward forked lightning from her extended fingers and encircled Barry in a sparking embrace. He cried out in pain, unable to move, his muscles frozen solid by the intense flow of electrons coursing through his body. Leslie smiled down at him as he slowly collapsed onto the floor.

 

***

 

Leslie knew that killing the leather clad speedster would deplete all of her remaining energy. Her time spent in captivity had keep her isolated from all available power sources and she had never felt so vulnerable. She ceased the lightning emanating from her hands just as she saw her victim’s eyes roll back and slip into unconsciousness. She moved towards her rescuer and helped her up from the floor. “So what now?”, Leslie asked.

“For starters, I need you to enter this facilities mainframe and disable all of their communication satellites, surveillance systems and internet capabilities”, Banshee grabbed Leslie’s forearm just in time before she transformed herself into energy, “But leave the security on the other containment cells intact! The DEO keeps all manner of creatures within these walls and I don’t intend on sharing our spoils with anyone or anything else!”. An understanding nod from Leslie was her only response before she disappeared into a nearby electrical box on the wall and began her one woman cyberattack.

Banshee stepped over the fallen speedster and sent a final glance at the still form of Alex Danvers. It would be so easy to kill the woman where she lay, but then who better to tell Supergirl about what had transpired here? Besides, Livewire’s obsession with Cat Grant ensured that they would have all the bait they needed to lure Supergirl out of hiding and bring down their one remaining opponent before seizing control of the city.

Livewire had made short work of the agency mainframe. Banshee found herself once again in front of the monitors of the command centre, she could see that various satellites were already destabilizing from their orbits and would soon be burning up in earth’s atmosphere. When Leslie re-materialised at her side, she appeared rejuvenated, having obviously used the opportunity to drain the DEO’s backup power generator and drink up the energy to replace her own reserves.

“Come on,” Banshee directed. “We’re done here.”

They emerged into the new dawn of a typically stunning sunrise over the desert. The only remaining obstacle in their path back towards the outline of the city was the silhouette of a lone figure standing in the centre of the rows of bunkers, now the only untainted part of the DEO left remaining. The man’s stance was confident, two handguns drawn and locked onto the women. His ebony coloured skin glinting in the fresh dawn light.

“What have you done to my people?” Hank growled.

“Nothing much,” Banshee replied innocently.

Hank emptied multiple rounds of ammunition at his targets. Livewire transformed herself into pure energy, the bullets hitting nothing but concrete and sand behind her. Banshee charged towards Hank, swatting bullets like flies as she drew alongside him and swung her arm to delivering a wide arched side punch to his head. She could not prevent the look of surprise on her face when Hank’s cheek absorbed the full force of her strike, yet he only faltered a few feet. The blow would have killed a human instantly. Hank retaliated with a double armed thrust towards Banshee’s chest, she held on to his forearms as the impact sent them both careening into the side of a bunker, Banshee now pinned against the wall.

“You are not human!” She exclaimed.

“What gave it away”, Hank quipped back. Both of them grappled under the strength of the other, tugging and pushing to try and gain the upper hand. They were evenly matched in terms of strength and endurance. Banshee unleashed a hypersonic scream inches from Hank’s face. His eyes glowed red in response and he twisted his arms out from Banshee’s grip, silencing her by encircling his hands around her throat. “That will not work on me, demon”.

The next sensation Hank felt was an intense blinding flash as his feet left the ground not of their own accord. Leslie was behind him, her hands morphed into tendrils of electrical energy now worming their way into either side of Hank’s skull. He was unable to cry out in pain, his jaw locked tight under the potent current coursing throughout his body. The torture felt unending, he could not defend himself against a being without a body. Leslie grunted with the effort of unleashing vast quantities of electricity into the alien. If he didn’t die soon, she would be as powerless as when Supergirl had defeated her. Hank’s head sagged to one side and he let out a ragged breath, he did not inhale another. Leslie ceased her attack and watched as Hank silently fell twenty feet and landed on his back onto the sand below.

Leslie floated to the ground just as Banshee examined the unmoving form of the alien who had come so close to killing her. “I think we’re about even now in terms of favours.” Leslie smirked, “But if I’m going to fulfil my promise to skin Cat Grant alive in front of her girlfriend, then I’m going to need your help. What do I call you?”

“I am the Silver Banshee”. Was her response, “But don’t expect a thank you, Leslie”.

“Well, for once, that’s not an entirely terrible name to describe you”, she mused happily, “Oh, and the name’s Livewire. There is no Leslie Willis, she’s dead.” Banshee examined her companion’s cold lifeless eyes and believed her.

“Very well”, Banshee conceded. “It won’t be long until Supergirl discovers what happened here. I like your idea for Ms. Grant, Supergirl will do anything we ask if we use her as leverage.”

“It really was pathetic how they both seemed to fawn over each other right before I was captured” Livewire thought aloud.

“It goes deeper than that,” Banshee teased, “They have grown very close in the three months you’ve been asleep”.

“How close?” Livewire enquired.

Banshee looked directly into Livewire’s eyes and waited for the other woman to catch on.

“Oh… Well I can’t say I’m surprised! I knew I was getting those vibes for that cape-clad fashion disaster and Cat, well let’s just say she’s a woman of hidden depths…”. Livewire turned towards the city, drew a long deep breath and said, “I want to go to CatCo, drop in for a chat with my former boss”.

“It’s Saturday”, replied Banshee.

“Then we’ll get her at home, but we still need to go to CatCo.”

“Whatever for?”

Livewire huffed out a humourless laugh before saying, “We can’t murder the most powerful woman in National City in private! We need to broadcast her suffering to the world! What better way to make the rest of these pathetic humans know where the real power lies? With us!”

“And for that, we need supplies” mused Banshee, quickly catching on to Livewire’s idea.

 

***

 

Cat Grant pulled into the car port of CatCo tower a few minutes before 8 a.m. She enjoyed driving herself around every now and then and given her uncharacteristic appearance at the office this early on a weekend, she had decided to ditch her driver and make her own way there. She had even collected her own coffee from Noonan’s along the way, the pristine white cup nestled securely within the cup holder of the arm rest on the front passenger seat. She had drifted off to sleep with memories of an evening filled with stunning revelations and soaring through the night sky in the arms of an angel. She was done denying her feelings anymore, she had always felt drawn to Kara and now that the two of them had finally shed the pretence of Kara’s identity, she realised just how close she had come losing someone so integral to her life through her own foolish behaviour. Her mistakes of pushing the people she loved away through fear of rejection and being vulnerable to the feelings of others were firmly in the past. When she had awoken with these thoughts she had hastily showered and dressed before sunrise and made the decision to go to her office and make a start on the article which she hoped would redeem Supergirl to the city. Carter had been staying with his father since Thursday night and she hoped to have the majority of the article in place by early afternoon so that she could make preparations for her son’s return later that day.

She exited the carport into the main lobby and glanced around for the security guard, he was nowhere in sight but she figured he was grabbing a coffee or on his rounds. In fact, his lifeless corpse was hidden behind the security desk on the opposite side of the foyer to where her private elevator was located. Her heels clicked along the marble floor beneath her and she pressed the button for Level 23, his tragic fate unnoticed by the very person he was employed to protect.

When the doors re-opened she was greeted with the sight of upturned desks and papers strewn across the floor. Her signature sculpture of a large panther in neon pink was lying in pieces across the other side of the bullpen. The elevator doors closed behind her with a sharp “ding” which interrupted the silence of the destruction before her and caused the two mumbled voices currently making themselves at home in her office to pause their conversation and look up towards her direction.

The recognition of at least one of the woman’s identities slowly invaded Cat’s face and her breath hitched in her throat. The Noonan’s latte dropped to the floor as Cat drew her hands up to cover her mouth lest her rising panic betray her with a scream.

In a flash, Leslie disappeared from her comfortable perch in Cat’s plush office chair where her feet rested on the desk. She appeared by Cat’s side in a crackle of static and grabbed the media mogul painfully under her chin.

“Well isn’t this an unexpected surprise!” Leslie almost sang, then her face transformed into pure evil as she yanked Cat’s head towards her. Amber eyes met a dark abyss. “I’m not going to lie to you, this is gonna hurt!”

Cat felt a paralyzing jolt of energy surge through her and couldn’t prevent the shriek of pain leaving her lips. As the black spots danced in front of her vision, Cat’s last thought before blacking out was of how she might never get to hold Carter in her arms again.

Leslie was right, the pain was excruciating.

 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so pleased with the reception this fic has received. Thanks so much for your encouraging comments. This chapter attempts to bring together multiple characters and there is a fair bit of action to describe, I'm not entirely happy with the result but just need to get the plot moving. I miss my Supercat feels, but rest assured, there's plenty of it in the next chapter. Stay with me!


	6. Crime and Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex takes command as the DEO struggles to regroup after Banshee's attack. Barry eagerly offers his help in taking on the city's new threat. Meanwhile, Banshee and Livewire toy with Cat and use her as bait as they finally reveal their plans for National City.

A Tactful Omission of the Facts

Chapter 6

Alex slowly peeled her eyes open to the sight of utter chaos. Dozens of people, most in dark tactical gear, some dressed in surgical scrubs and lab coats gradually came into focus. She could see their movements, arms gesticulating wildly, footfalls rapid as people passed from one edge of her vision to the other, mouths wide with frantic instructions. The figures moved in an up-down direction causing Alex to draw the conclusion that she was lying down. Sounds were muted, as though she was deep under water or behind thick glass. Her attention fell on three medical personal, huddled closely around a bed three bays to her left. When the woman, whom Alex recognised as Dr. Lowe, shifted stance and walked around her patient, Alex finally had an unobstructed view of Hank lying motionless on the gurney. It was instinctual. Alex sat up and was already moving towards her boss before the pain from her crushed hand as well as numerous other aches along her torso and face betrayed her determined pace with an audible grunt of pain, drawing the attention of her fellow agents. Dr. Lowe was the first to react, steading Alex’s approach by catching her elbow and supporting Alex’s unsteady frame. “Not so fast Danvers! You need to rest!”

“I’ve rested enough,” Alex’s voice was dry and thick, someone handed her a bottle of water from which she gratefully drew a long sip, nodding a silent thank you in return. “How is he?”

“Unclear. I haven’t been able to make much sense out of the Director’s condition. He was found above ground shortly after the attack, so far we haven’t detected any injuries but he won’t respond to any external stimuli.” Dr. Lowe adjusted the IV attached to Hank’s hand then added, “It’s like he’s in a coma, but I have no idea what caused it, or whether I can or should bring him out of it…” Alex slowly made her way to stand by Hank’s head and placed her uninjured hand tenderly on his forehead. He felt cold, inhumanly so, but Alex had no idea if that was a good or a bad thing for a Martian. “I was just about to set up an EEG in the hope that it will give me a better idea of how to proceed.” Dr. Lowe turned to one of the nurses and added, “Amelia, I want a full blood work up started on the Director”-

“Shouldn’t we wait for the results of the scan first?” Alex interjected. She was treading into dangerous territory, but Hank had never been more vulnerable to the rest of the DEO finding out his true identity. Alex had to stall them as much as possible, preferably without arousing too much suspicion.

“I could hold of, for now, if that’s what you would prefer Acting Director?”, the doctor questioned. Of course, Hank’s line of succession remained unaltered and with him out of commission, it fell to her to call the shots.

“Yes, I would. I want updates every half hour on his condition”. There was no hesitation in her voice, Alex was all business now. 

“If you’re insisting on returning to duty, and by the look on your face I know that’s not even a question,” Dr. Lowe countered Alex’s half formed response smoothly, “Then take two of these every four hours and keep that arm of yours in a strapped up and secure”, a bottle of pills was handed over and her arm efficiently bandaged before she took her leave of the medical bay.

If Alex thought the medical bay was fraught with chaos, the sight of the command centre caused her to draw a sharp breath, instantly reminding her of her bruised ribs. The monitors, the few which remained un-shattered, flickered with static. Tendrils of exposed wiring littered the bullpen as groups of engineers scrambled to make sense of the devastation. Emergency torches were aimed strategically at generator boxes, skilled hands working to revive the stilled heart of the DEO. Amongst the hive of activity, Vasquez spotted her approach and moved to intercept. “Director Danvers, Ma’am, it’s good to see you awake”.

“Thanks Vasquez. You gonna tell me how bad it is?” A part of her didn’t really want to know the answer. An agonized look crossed Vasquez’s face before the professional in her attempted to rein in her feelings.

“Twelve dead. One inmate unaccounted for. Director Henshaw incapacitated. We’ve been trying to restore communications for the last hour or so, we have no satellite feed and no internet. Livewire really did a number on the mainframe.” Alex let her eyes drop to the floor as she took it all in. It was her fault that Livewire had gotten out, but she had felt there was no other option when that creature had threatened to kill everyone on the base. Twelve dead. On their own turf no less. Alex blinked tears away before they had a chance to pool and determined that the best way to honour her fallen comrades was to take care of those that were left, then make those responsible pay dearly. 

“Has my sister been informed about what’s happened?”. Vasquez’s lips pursed in anger for a moment as she considered her next words.

“No Director. Our communications are still down, all except for the emergency link to the pentagon.” Vasquez quickly glanced around and continued at a lower volume. “General Lane, in your absence, ordered us to keep what’s happened here under wraps. He specifically mentioned that your sister was to remain unaware due to ‘security concerns’ given her recent behaviour”. Vasquez practically spat the last words out.

Alex realised that there was more than one threat the DEO was facing today. “Vasquez, I don’t care how you do it, in fact, I should specifically not know, but you get Supergirl here right away. And while you’re at it, we could probably use Winn’s expertise to re-establish our satellite uplink. Give him temporary DEO agent status, on my authority”.

Vasquez shot her an admiring smile before she gave the good soldier standard response of, “Yes Director”.

A thought suddenly occurred to Alex and she quickly motioned Vasquez back, “Where’s Barry?”

“Ah.”, Vasquez made it clear by her tone that she did not approve, “General Lane ordered that he be secured in Cell 19 until his exact involvement in the ‘hostile incursion’ could be established.”

“I see,” Alex clenched her good hand into a fist and set off purposefully towards the main detention block.

 

***

 

It happened only rarely, but Kara knew she had just emerged from a particularly deep sleep when her super senses didn’t immediately attune to the sounds of the city all around her. Rather, Kara had awoken to the warm caress of the mid-morning sun. She had decided to allow it to be her natural alarm clock this morning given she was not due to go into work today. After successfully avoiding the attention of National City’s population despite the glowing moonlight, she had covertly slipped into her apartment a little after 4 a.m. A quick glance at the bedside alarm clock revealed it was a little after nine, but despite her marathon exertions to the Fortress and back she felt well rested and ready to begin the day. She thanked her hyper resilient Kryptonian physiology for the absence of stiff joints and weary muscles, but when her stomach loudly protested at being neglected for much of the previous day, Kara gave a brief laugh at the timely reminder from her body that everyone, even Supergirl, has their limits.

By the time she checked her phone, she was in the process of demolishing her third doughnut whist seated at the breakfast table in her open plan apartment. Unusually for Alex, her sister had not been in touch to keep her apprised of how her research was going with regards to sending Barry safely home. Kara figured she was playing the protective big sister card and had not wished to disturb her deep slumber for another few hours. Just as she placed the device on the table, it started to hum, signally an incoming call from an unknown ID. Kara greeted the caller with a tentative “Hello?”.

“Supergirl!” The female voice sounded crackly and distant. How was she supposed to answer? Cautiously Kara decided on a neutral response.

“Who is this?”

“It’s Vasquez. Signal is terrible ----ccrrrr----at the DE-. -Base was attacked---ssssshhhhrrrrrr. Your sister is okay but Hens- ccccrrrr------ -ultiple casualities. We need you!” The signal cut off prematurely, but the last three words came through as clear as if Vasquez had been in the same room.

Kara hurriedly glanced around her living area in search of her super suit. She remembered leaving her black one folded length-ways on the back of the chair in her bedroom. She reached for it, gathered it to her breast and then went to the pull-out drawer under her bed where she had hidden her blue one. Kara examined both garments laid out on her mattress. She knew she shouldn’t be hesitating like this, that the hero in her should act immediately but she could not help the flutter of her heart when she considered this would be her first public appearance since the city had disowned her. She did not feel worthy of their forgiveness, Cat and she had barely conceived the notion of accounting for her irrational behaviour with the not yet published article and it felt too soon, too presumptuous, to believe they would tolerate her presence once again, regardless of whatever threat had crippled the DEO.

Then she remembered Cat’s words,

“You either take what has dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice belongs only to you.”

Affection for Cat flooded Kara’s thoughts, there was no denying that what she felt for the woman transcended close friendship. She had been a mentor, confidant and most recently her one true champion. Kara suddenly had a foolish thought. She was more afraid to reveal to Cat that she was completely and undeniably in love with her, more afraid of that than of once again becoming Supergirl! 

Without any further preamble, she quick changed into her trademark blue fabric, red boots and skirt. She ran her hands through the smooth leather of her cape and quickly moved to discard the black bodysuit which now felt cowardly and unwelcome in her home. The ovular shape of a small object nestled within the layers of dark fabric suddenly reminded her of the precious cargo still concealed within. Kara removed the ring and secured it within her boot pocket along with her phone. She briefly considered how many minutes it would take until someone captured the sight of her fluttering red outline in a camera lens before abandoning all thoughts about self-preservation. People were hurt, she had a job to do and she was going to do it to the best of her ability. Whether National City wanted her help or not.

 

***

 

Barry had been pacing the blue-tinted cell ever since he had regained consciousness a little over two hours ago. At least he guessed it had been that long, it was hard to tell with the absence of a clock, or windows. A humourless huff of amusement escaped his chest when he considered this was the second time in less than 24 hours that he had been imprisoned against his will for trying to do the right thing. Rapid footsteps announced the approach of someone and Barry was relieved to see a very much alive if slightly battle-weary Alex Danvers. He stopped pacing and spoke warmly, “I’m glad you’re okay Alex, I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them.”

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry for. Thank you for trying. That creature was unlike anything we’ve encountered before. There’s nothing like it on our database”, she offered by way of consolation.

Barry cocked his head to the side and spoke boldly, “Well she’s dead set on taking over the city, but she said she needed the other one’s help to do it”. 

“If you and Kara worked together, do you think you can stop them?” Alex let out a slow sigh, “As much as I hate to admit it, me, and the rest of the DEO will be too busy licking our wounds and trying to stop the army from completely taking over to be of much use”.

“A superhero team up? Thought you’d never ask!”

Alex felt a genuine smile on her face, she wasted no more time in deactivating the lock and releasing the door to Barry’s cell. “Is Kara here?”, he asked.

“She’s on her way. In the meantime, we should review whatever surveillance footage survived from the attack to try and figure out a way to fight them”.

“I was able to avoid the ghost creature’s screams by moving between the sound waves as they came towards me, but that other one got the best of me with her lightening.”

“Livewire”, Alex offered. “She has the ability to manipulate electricity, store it and harness it for whatever purpose she wants… Are you fully recovered?”

“Yeah, I heal pretty fast.”

“Lucky for some”, as she glanced down at her arm. “Come on, this way”.

“Should I ask how you managed to clear this with a certain superhero hating General?” Barry quipped.

“Lucky for you, I put in a good word with the new boss”, Barry quirked his eyebrow for her to elaborate. When her only response was a wink, he simply followed after her back to the command centre.

As they rounded the final turn, Barry caught sight of Kara and was unable to prevent the slight falter in his steps as he took in the view. She looked magnificent, every inch the hero that she was in a suit of dark royal blue complimented with a sharp red skirt and boots. And the cape… Barry was staring, but he thought it may have escaped everyone’s notice as the sisters shared an endearing hug in the centre of the room that caused everyone surrounding them to pause in appreciation.

“Kara, I’m fine”, Alex’s voice was muffled due to her head being nestled in the crook of Kara’s neck as she was enveloped in strong arms. Kara, pulled away slightly and held her sister’s shoulders, drinking in the sight of Alex’s bruised cheek, the cut along her hair line hastily stuck together with butterfly stitches and the dark purplish hue of her strapped left hand.

“Liar.” Was the only response Kara could muster, tear glistening in her eyes. “Tell me what happened?”

“We were attacked by some kind of, humanoid phantom, it has the ability to kill just by using its voice.” Alex offered.

“Is it a Fort Rozz escapee?”

“No. At least not one that we have any record of”, Alex couldn’t quite meet Kara’s eyes as she continued, “It got into command, overrode our security and killed twelve of our personnel”.

“On Rao Alex, I’m so sorry!” Kara looked like she was going to offer her sister another hug but Alex sensed the movement and moved out of her sister’s soft grip.

“That’s not all, she threatened to kill even more people. She took me hostage and forced me to unlock one of the cells to free a prisoner”, Alex’s head was dipped towards the floor, she swallowed thickly and swept a bang of hair that had fallen from behind her ear. She finally met her sister’s eyes but found it difficult to continue.

“Alex?” Kara prompted.

“Livewire”, Alex breathed the name out, “She broke out Livewire, and now the two of them are out there somewhere up to who knows what!” She made no attempt to hide the frustration she held for herself with the tone of her words.

Barry saw an expression fall of Kara’s face that he could not read. He hadn’t known her for very long but he could tell her sunny personality and earnestness was all genuine. The look currently on her face told of other, more volatile emotions just bubbling beneath a seemingly mild mannered exterior.

“Kara, we can stop them together. Let me help you”, Barry said.

She looked at him, and to her credit she seemed to be considering his offer. Then she crossed her arms across her chest and raised her chin. “No. Livewire is my problem. We have history…” A sudden thought flashed across her face, “Cat! She’ll go after Cat! I – I wasn’t here for this; she’ll want revenge on me for locking her up in here… And the best way to do that is to go after those that helped put her here!”, Kara was frantic now, her earlier confident poise now lost to worry.

“Kara calm down!” Alex tried to reason, “Livewire’s still recovering from being locked up in here for months, she’ll need to gather her strength first”.

“No Alex, you’re wrong. She’ll head straight for CatCo. She’s probably there right now!”

“Kara it’s Saturday, Ms. Grant won’t be there.” Kara considered her sister’s rationale for a second, her shoulders sagging slightly as if in agreement.

“Maybe you’re right”, the look she sent her sister was unguardedly vulnerable, “I just don’t know what I would do if anything happened to her”.

Alex flashed Kara a no-nonsense big sister stare and said, “After all this is over, you and I are having a serious talk about what exactly is going on between you and your boss”. She glanced quickly at her watch, “But right now, I’ve got to go check on Hank”.

Kara’s face once again filled with anguish, “What do you mean? What’s wrong with Hank?”

 

***

 

The trio crowded around Hank’s prone, unmoving form. Alex had quietly asked everyone else with the exception of Barry, Kara and herself to step out for a minute. “The doctor thinks he’s in a coma, but who knows what that means for him and how we are supposed to treat it”.

“How come he’s not reverted into his… Other form?” Kara quietly enquired.

“I’m not sure. We think he was exposed to a massive electrical surge, no prizes for guessing by who”, Alex stroked Hank’s face briefly, “It’s caused his whole body to lock his muscles into a fixed spasm, I think that’s how he’s able to maintain his human form”. Barry was barely keeping up with the current interchange, but he trusted these women to make sound judgements and he felt that trust was returned if they were willing to discuss this obviously very sensitive topic in his presence. “I have to stay here at the DEO to keep this under wraps. I’m no use to you out there with my hand…” Alex drew Kara’s attention, lifting her gaze away from Hank by placing her fingers under her chin. “Let Barry help you. Two Superheroes against two crazed women intent on mass destruction kinda evens the odds don’t you think?” 

Kara’s eyes glanced between her two companions. Barry saw that some lingering hesitation still remained and decided it was time to play his trump card. “Kara,” he began, “When we first met I wasn’t exactly sure how or why I came to be here but just a moment ago it all became clear.” He motioned toward her suit, “Then I saw you come in here dressed like this and it suddenly made sense, my vision.” He clarified, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder, “You were the one I saw, complete in your red and blue suit needing my help. And as much as you’d like to disagree”, he quickly continued, cutting of her open mouth to protest at his words, “Everybody needs help now and again, even me. Listen to your sister. We need to do this together”.

Kara nodded slowly, sent a loving look to her sister before turning to Barry, “You’re right. Stronger Together.”

Alex smiled warmly at the pair. “Good, now let’s gather as much info as we can from the attack to get this done! Follow me!”

 

***

 

When Cat once again joined the land of the not-unconscious, her head felt worse than the time she had challenged Lois Lane to tequila shots back in their early Daily Planet days of being vaguely sociable with one another. The warmth of the handcuffs securing her wrists to either side of the metal railings which bordered the statue to National City’s Girl of Steel was a prime indication to Cat that she had been passed out for far longer than she would have liked. She briefly wondered if tomorrows press outlets would revel in the images of her prone, exposed, vulnerable form, beneath the defaced effigy. Having a woman whose live hung in the balance trussed up underneath a tasteless slogan about the value of human lives was surely a photo-opportunity in sardonicism too striking to pass up. This was a sight never before which could be attributed to the fire-breathing, baby-eating reputation Cat was more than happy to perpetuate. She briefly ruminated about how CatCo would respond to the belittling and disparaging headlines. That was of course if Cat indeed survived to read or have any input whatsoever in tomorrow’s headlines. 

Cat knew of course that her presence under the shadow of the bronze emblazoned crest of the House of El was an impossible to miss challenge to call out Supergirl. The statue was supposed to be a symbol of National City’s gratitude to its resident superhero but after recent events, now served as a sobering example of the anger and distrust the citizens currently felt towards their fallen champion. Cat flexed her fingers to alleviate some of the tension from her wrists which, until a few moments ago, had been supporting her weight in place of her legs. She briefly glanced down at the angry marks the cuffs had made to her skin and wondered if they were as vibrant as the red spray paint that defaced the once striking statue looming above her. 

The red pin-point recording light of a video camera became an unlikely focal point for a mildly-concussed Cat and she felt oddly thankful for how it distracted her from the harsh, cloudless heat of the mid-morning sun assaulting her already over-sensitized eyes. She squinted as she followed the shadows on the ground emanating from the camera tripod legs as they blended into the railings she was shackled to. Suddenly, the sun was gone. In its place the familiar but never welcome visage of a woman in her late twenties Cat had once called a friend and beside her stood her ghoulish companion.

Livewire made no effort to hide the smirk on her lips and mirth in her eyes as she admired her handiwork. And if Cat had decided to respond by attempting to stand up a little straighter, to prove to Leslie that she was not going to show her just how terrified she was beneath the defiant stare she levelled back at her captors, the wobble in her left thigh as her feet once again gave out from underneath her put a swift stop to any notions that she was in any position to mount such a defiant challenge.

“Finally” Drawled Leslie. “I thought I was going to have to shock you awake at this rate. What good is killing you in front of your precious alien lover if you’re not awake to watch me do it?” Leslie drew up alongside Cat and gently laced a lock of her loosely curled hair through her fingers as she lent in to whisper in Cat’s ear. “Make no mistake, this will not be quick for you. I’ve spent the last three months illegally detained, sedated in a waking-coma and locked up in a glass coffin all thanks to you and that cheerleader on steroids. We have so much to catch up on”.

Cat drew a steadying breath, her attention suddenly drawn to the ghoulish woman now addressing the camera in what was now evidently a live public announcement.

“Citizens of National City, I address you from the centre of National Park, location of your pitiful homage to the alien hostile and false idol, Supergirl. I am the Silver Banshee.” The speaker’s arms unfolded from her chest and Banshee held them openly towards the camera. “Do not be alarmed by my appearance, for I am of this earth. I am descended from an ancient and powerful clan of mystics with untold power and I reveal myself to you now in this city’s most desperate hour.” Banshee raised a finger to the sky and continued in a booming voice, “I am here to deliver this city back from the brink of self-destruction! For too long, this city’s rich and powerful have dictated to you a simple false truth. That we need aliens with the powers of gods to watch over us and keep as safe! This is a lie!”, she spat, “The only thing they want is to rule this planet for themselves, you are nothing but the play things of super powered beings subject to the whims of their arrogance and self-righteousness as they brazenly force you to revere them for their attempts to lure our trust with supposed great feats of heroism and sacrifice.” Banshee pulled her clenched hand toward her chest in a mockery of empathy for the city’s plight, “This is all a deception! A deception designed to gain your trust and acceptance before their real motives are revealed.” Banshee let her face form a twisted smile at her next words, “Just like what happened when Supergirl turned on this city and finally revealed her desire to take all of its resources and wealth for herself! And what is worse,” Banshee turned her back to the camera briefly to gesture in Cat’s direction, “Is that there are humans out there so besotted with them that they choose to turn against their own kind in an attempt to ride these hero’s capes all the way to the top with them!” 

Leslie’s gentle touch transformed into an angry tug as she moved to grip the back of Cat’s scalp and pull her head back to expose the full expanse of her neck. Leslie dragged the index finger of her other hand along the visibly swollen line of Cat’s jugular. Cat became aware that Banshee had stopped speaking to the camera and had turned towards Leslie and herself pointing an accusing finger squarely in her direction.

“Make no mistake National City, Supergirl may be your number one threat, but Cat Grant’s greed for power is just as dangerous!”

Cat turned to speak to Leslie in confidence, “Leslie, listen to me. I know you’re angry with me.” She surprised herself with how steady her voice was holding, “We both know I’m not one to beg, but for the sake of sparing my son from seeing his own mother’s lifeless body on the lunchtime news, why don’t we let your friend here continue this villainous monologue somewhere less exposed to”-

The shock Livewire sent through Cat’s neck cut off her pleas and caused her to involuntarily bit down into her tongue. Cat briefly considered that the sight of a lone trickle of blood as it travelled down her chin and dripped onto the muted blue and grey patterned jacket she wore would have an irreversible impact on her reputation as a metal-encased-in-skin Terminatrix. She was just glad that the electricity coursing through her veins had caused her jaw to lock shut and was now suppressing her screams. She couldn’t be seen bleeding AND screaming on national television.

As her body continued to convulse under Leslie’s merciless ministrations, Cat felt the narrowing of her vision as the pull of once again succumbing to unconsciousness loomed. She fought the black spots, fought the urge to vomit though her stomach was near enough empty having not had the chance to consume breakfast. She even fought the vague scent of burnt flesh as it assaulted her nostrils and refused to dwell as to its source. She was dimly aware of the sparks of light arching between the steel handcuffs and the railings. She didn’t want to contemplate how badly burnt her wrists would be once Leslie decided to stop touching her. If she ever did decide to stop touching her. Cat’s eyelids began to feel heavy…

“Oh, no you don’t Ms. Grant! No more sleeping for you until I say so!” Leslie ceased her electrical caress just in time. Cat slumped forward, muscles entirely spent in their endeavours to co-operate with standing upright. “Before this day is out, the entire world is going to hear you tell them exactly what you did to me. And I’m not just talking about my demotion to traffic chopper.” Leslie took one step back and bellowed “LOOK AT ME!”

Cat whimpered quietly as the aftershocks played out their sickening dance along her weary limbs, but managed to bring her head up slowly to meet Leslie’s murderous glare. Cat decided in that very moment that she was done trying to reason with the criminally insane. She resigned herself to the fact that this could very well be her last day on this earth. But that didn’t mean that she wasn’t going to leave this world without some fairly spectacularly acerbic last words.

“I see your time spent on medicated bed rest has done nothing to improve your sense in fashion…” When in doubt, insult their clothes. Genius Cat. Nailed it.

“Well then maybe I’ll swing by your stylish penthouse apartment and borrow a few of your outfits.” Leslie once again drew up beside Cat and started to pick pretend flecks of dirt from Cat’s sleeves. A wistful smile ghosted her lips as she once again leaned in and whispered in Cat’s ear. “You’re still in Sacred Heights right? Third complex to the right just as you pull past the country club? Tell me, is Carter still obsessed with his computer games?”. Cat could not prevent the involuntarily display of panic that took over her face at the mention of his name. “How do you feel about me making them a bit more realistically… interactive for him? How much more fun would a first person shooter be if the bullets getting fired from the screen were ACTUAL bullets! I bet he”-

If Cat Grant had possessed Supergirl’s heat vision, the look she levelled at Livewire in that moment could have melted glass.

“YOU STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY SON!” The pain in Cat’s voice was as raw as her throat. There was no point in denying her terror now. “Do whatever you must to satisfy your grievances with me, but leave Carter alone.” Cat looked directly into Leslie’s black orbs and croaked “Please, I’m begging you”.

For the briefest of moments, Cat thought she saw hesitation in Leslie’s face as though there was still some vestige of human decency still present in her former protégé. But, alas, she was mistaken.

“That’s what you call begging?” Leslie looked furious. “Trust me Cat” she all but spat her name out as an insult, flicking a lock of Cat’s hair in mock affection, “You haven’t even started to beg for all the things you take for granted whilst everyone else suffers at you and Supergirl’s expense”. Leslie found Banshee’s eyes, waiting for her nod of approval.

This time Leslie laid her right palm squarely on Cat’s chest, her fingers glancing over the undersides of her collarbones. Leslie turned to the camera and proudly proclaimed, “I’m going to show the world that Cat Grant does indeed possess a beating heart… Right before I stop it”.

This time when Livewire radiated the electricity directly through Cat’s chest, the pain is immeasurable. As much as she wanted to, she can’t prevent the scream that pushed out from behind clenched teeth. Just as quickly as the shock was administered, she felt it cease, at exactly the same moment as she ceased being able to feel anything.

Livewire waited precisely twelve seconds before she sent another jolt back through Cat’s chest, efficiently re-starting the delicate organ she had so callously stopped. The human heart, she had learned, was as fragile as the rest of a flesh and blood body. Her experiments with the worthless vagrants in the seedier parts of National City before her imprisonment at the DEO had taught her that this neat little trick as a walking/talking defibrillator would only work two, maybe three times before Cat’s heart gave out for good. Still, the look on Cat’s face of first shock then realization of what had just transpired as she joined the ranks of the recently not-deceased was definitely worth it.

Cat gasped awake and once again felt that every nerve ending in her body was on fire. She was breathing heavily, head fallen forward and once again trying in vain to make her legs co-operate with holding her up. She could not prevent the tears pooling in her eyes as her mind and body tried to comprehend what had just happened.

 

Banshee spoke over Cat’s gasping breathes, “Cat Grant, defiant to the last. As you can see, we have all the control when it comes to who lives and who dies” She shook her head with a humourless huff of laughter, “National City. Livewire and myself are prepared to rid you of Supergirl and her human sycophant at no personal cost to any of you. But what is perfectly clear to us is that you are all incapable of choosing the right people for the job of ruling this city. Livewire and I will therefore be taking charge of things from here on in. The government, NCPD and everyone else will now answer to us”, Banshee held an unblinking stare directly at the camera, “Supergirl. I demand that you show yourself and answer for your crimes by dying alongside your human pet! Her life as well as your own is already forfeit. You have fifteen minutes. After which, if you don’t show, I will kill ten people for every minute you keep us waiting. Starting with the group of children enjoying a field trip to this park. For their sakes, don’t be late”.

 

Cat winced as Leslie leaned in and placed a static-laced kiss to her cheek in a belittling attempt to appear caring. “Welcome back darling.” She pinched Cat’s chin between her thumb and index finger, pulling her back to eye level and forcing Cat to once again meet her murderous gaze. “The next time we do that will be just before you see the lifeless corpse of Supergirl lying directly underneath this monstrous tribute to her supposed heroic deeds”. Just as viciously as she had first taken her jaw, Leslie released her grip, allowing Cat to slowly sink into the grip of the handcuffs, what little remaining energy left within her was solely focused on getting her breathing under some semblance of control. 

Leslie began to retreat from her shackled prey. As much as her hatred for Cat Grant had been partially sated by killing her for the briefest of moments, she needed to channel all of her rage into the person who had really been the one responsible for her incarceration. Before the deaths of the two women who had shaped her into the creature she was in this moment, she would have Supergirl confess all of her sins before the unrelenting gaze of the world’s media arsenal. Through a CatCo camera lens no less.

Cat knew the relief she felt at being given a reprieve from Leslie’s torturous revenge was only temporary. She refused to dwell on the guilt that she had almost left her son, sons, without a mother. Her actions up to this point had turned an ambitious, talented shock jock into a homicidal, maniacal meta-human. She accepted that her life was now forfeit, but just like any other human facing the certainty of imminent death, she had her regrets. 

Thankfully, one of them was not Kara. 

Cat had barely begun to process the long-term implications of finally confirming her long held suspicion that her mild-mannered assistant was secretly an all-powerful alien from a long-destroyed alien world. Their conversations the previous night had been amongst the most stimulating and fascinating of her life. She had always felt inexplicably drawn to Kara, fiercely protective of her in ways that were infinitely more complex than could be justified with words such as mentor or maternal. Cat quietly thanked whatever deity had allowed her to salvage her relationship with Kara from the brink of her self-imposed “strictly boss and employee” impasse. She only wished her lingering fear of rejection hadn’t won over last night and prevented her from confessing just exactly how much affection she held for the younger woman.

Cat drew another shaky breath and watched as Leslie and Banshee paced back and forth, just out of earshot. Though she couldn’t hear the words, Cat hoped in vain that the inevitable taunts and insults spewing forth from their mouths to the camera wouldn’t cause Kara to do anything rash, such as rush is and save the day. 

Who was she kidding. That’s exactly what the hero in her would do. Now they were both going to die. 

Together.

 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay folks! I've not been particularly well this week so putting my thoughts to keyboard has proved a challenge. Rest assured, I have come up with some very interesting ways in which our heroes will meet our villainous duo in the epic battle coming next chapter!
> 
> Please send me your positive vibes (and honest comments) to aide in a speedy recovery!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fanfic! I've been an avid reader for years and it just goes to show the effect this show has had on me to want to share my ramblings with the SG community. I must site inspiration in the wonderful works of Fictorum, Rtarara, kara-lesbihonest, HerRenegadeHeart and so many others who have posted some truly talented offerings in recent months. I'm also loving the Supercat community on Tumblr, may this F/F pairing never be canon because that would mean sharing it with the rest of the muggles.
> 
> This work is completely non-betaed. I'd love to hear constructive criticism, take pointers etc. I've written a couple of chapters already and anticipate it running to 5 or 6... We'll see!


End file.
